Chapter 5 Aha Moment on Floklore

 Folklore is one of the oldest forms of  stories. Folklore  began before people could write,  so stories were passed down through word of mouth. Folklore  includes many different types of stories which can range  from nursery rhymes, folk tales, myths,  epics,  legends, fables, songs and ballads which have been passed down  from  story tellers for hundreds or even thousands of years  and  were used for several reasons   whether is was to enlighten or entertain the young and old alike. The stories were always changed or  given their own  style changes by the story teller  to enhance the meaning  or are given a new light  by the story teller. Folklore has lasted for centuries to make their way to many of the books that we now share with children today.
      Some of the quality elements that we find  in folklore is the language and illustrations. the language is  rich with natural rhymes and echos the spoken language. The language reflects the cultural integrity of the early retelling and  preserves the  straightforward structure of oral story telling. The language also  explores significant universal themes. The illustrations  serve as  examples of  the artistic excellence and are used to complement and extend the narrative. The illustrations also offer authentic cultural detail.

 Each of the different types of folklore stories have their own set of defining characteristics which  create  different genres with in the genre. There is not a specific  guideline  for the genre of folklore  other that it being stories that have been passed down for centuries. Using folklore in the classroom  can  deepen children's and young adults understanding of the  stories being read today in classrooms. In many  stories today there are several references to  folklore. Much of the  symbolism  in today's  stories relates to the  folklore told in the past  and with out the understanding of the  folklore  children will not understand the symbolism in the stories  of today. Folklore is an essential part of literacy  and  helps children gain  a whole world of understanding and insight  into  the past literacy. Students need to be given the opportunity to discover the recurring patterns  and structural framework  in which to view literature as "one overarching story". Immersing students in  folklore helps them to recognize similarities in  stories Folklore  also  introduces  students to  multicultural understandings and exposes them to the aspects of different cultures.