Children should read novels as early as possible

Tang Xiaomin

Flipping through the autobiographies of some scholars, I found that they all had an interest in reading from an early age, and what stimulated their interest in reading was often not very good books.

Writer Jia Zhifang put it this way:

"I was stubborn since I was a child, although at the age of 5, I was sent to a private school for enlightenment, and later changed to a new primary school, but I was never interested in reading, so I skipped school, so I was repeatedly "educated" by teachers and my family - the teacher beat me on the board, punished me for kneeling confucius tablets, and the elders reprimanded me so much that I beat me. It is about the so-called "reverse psychology", under the threat of scolding and sticks, but it has aroused my contempt and disgust for books and books. But when I entered the high hours, a classmate brought a lithographic embroidered copy of the "List of Fengshen Gods" from home to show me, although many of the words in the book were not recognized, but the storyline and the fate of the characters in the book were generally understood, and I was fascinated. It can also be said that as an opportunity, books began to attract me, so that reading became a necessity of life, and eventually from a naughty boy in the mountains to an intellectual, reading, buying, and writing books, translating books and teaching, without knowing that old age was coming. (Jia Zhifang: "Reading does not know that the old age has arrived", see Yang Yaowen, selected works: "Cultural Masters Talk about Reading", p. 153, Jinghua Publishing House, 2008)

Jia Zhifang read the "List of Fengshen Gods", while Wang Zikun read "Xue Rengui Zhengdong". He happened to see a book, "It turned out to be a book of Xue Rengui Zhengdong, and I was immediately attracted." Wang Zikun said: "This great discovery has a decisive significance for my life, and since then I have looked for books everywhere, from "Xue Rengui Zhengxi" and "Luo Tong Sweeping the North" to "Liaozhai Zhiyi", the four strange books, fascinated to the time of cattle herding, when driving water, and even when walking on the field path, I can't release the scroll, and my heart is not distracted. In this way, I have not only read and added wisdom, but more importantly, I have developed the habit of liking to read. (Lu Jiaxi et al., editors-in-chief: Academician Thinking, vol. 3, p. 90, Anhui Education Publishing House, 1998)

The same is true of Ji Xianlin, who read novels and read books such as "Peng Gong Biography":

When I was in elementary school, novels were called "idle books" and were absolutely forbidden to read. However, I love to read "idle books". High-level "idle books", such as "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West", we can't understand it, nor can we get it, so we don't read it, we focus on low-level "idle books", such as "Peng Gong Case", "Shi Gong Case", "Ji Gong Biography", "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousness", "Little Five Righteousness", "Eastern Zhou Dynasty Chronicles", "Tang Dynasty", "List of Fengshen Gods", and so on. In the book, the cornices of the heroes walked on the wall, and the sword and light sword shadow seemed to be shaking right in front of me, and I seemed to be involved in it, and I couldn't help it. Such "idle books". I see a great deal of quantity, a great variety. I have watched "Peng Gong Biography" more than forty times. ”

Today, these novels are probably not suitable for children to read. But the above situation tells us that there is no harm in reading it, not only harmless, but also beneficial. These scholars have developed a habit of reading because they have stimulated their interest in reading novels, which has become a key point in their lifelong growth and later achievements.

Today, some teachers, especially parents, are too careful about what books their children can read, always afraid that their children will read books that they should not read, and that their children will be badly affected. In fact, the biggest problem is not that the child may be affected, the biggest problem is that when the child needs to develop the habit of reading, he does not read because he is restricted, so he does not have the habit of reading in Yangcheng. We always feel that there are "bad" things in the book, and these will affect the children. And I don't see that there are many good things in the book, and this good thing is helping children grow. Is it true that children will only be affected by bad things and not accept good influences? Don't imagine your own children as bad.

Ji Xianlin recalled reading those novels, saying: The more absurd the stories of these novels are, the more magical they are." Later, the heroes in the book have all raced the Sun Monkeys of "Journey to the West". "But what's the harm in that?" I don't think so. ...... Not only is it harmless, I think it's good. Ji Xianlin believes that he has learned the method of article writing from these novels. He also pointed out: "Now, for primary school students, in terms of extracurricular reading, as in other aspects, too much control, too strict management, too much control, this is not necessarily the right way." (Ji Xianlin: On Writing, Contemporary China Publishing House, 2007, p. 104) What Ji Xianlin said is worth pondering.