SIXTH‑GRADE CHILDREN’S RESPONSE TO LITERATURE REPRESENTING LIVES OF LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS GROUPS IN INDIA

Abstract This study explores the responses of Sixth‑Grade children to literature representing the lives of low socio‑economic groups in India. The first part examines the availability and content of children’s literature in Hindi for 10-to-11-year-old children. The second part focuses on the response of Sixth‑Grade children to selected children’s literature in Hindi. Children were selected from high, middle, or low socio‑economic status. Data analysis reveals six categories of complex reader responses, including children’s views on life and social class. Findings suggest that children respond in many ways when provided with adequate experience and room for dialogue. We conclude with implications for the use of representational children’s literature in classrooms.