“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”
― Albert Einstein
Take it from the man whose name is associated with brilliance: Fairy Tales make you smart.
But thanks to scholars and other experts who have studied this centuries-old literary form, we need not rely on Einstein’s opinion alone.
There are many benefits to reading fairy tales to young children. When parents read a favorite fairy tale over and over, they not only hit the on-switch of their children’s imagination, but they also help them develop storytelling skills, and, ultimately, give them an advantage in school.
“In the folk tale, good is good and evil is evil, and the former will triumph and latter will fail,” writes Anothony Esolen, author of Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child. “This is not the result of the imaginative quest. It is rather its principle and foundation. It is what will enable the child later on to understand Macbeth, or Don Quixote, or David Copperfield.”
Indeed, some research suggests that the positive impact fairy tales have on a child’s ability to succeed in school extends well beyond the boundaries of literature to math and logic.
The elements of a fairy tale’s conflict and resolution are crystal clear. The billy goats must cross the bridge without being eaten by the ogre. The three little pigs must seek shelter from the big bad wolf. The prince must find his true princess. Hearing these stories again and again enables children to recognize conflict and identify solutions. They can then apply these skills – breaking down complex problems into simple solutions – to many other subjects.
“The value of fairy tales lies not in a brief literary escape from reality, but in the gift of hope that goodness truly is more powerful than evil and that even the darkest reality can lead to a Happily Ever After,” writes best-selling parenting and children’s book author L.R. Knost. “Do not take that gift of hope lightly. It has the power to conquer despair in the midst of sorrow, to light the darkness in the valleys of life, to whisper ‘One more time’ in the face of failure.”
