Ep. 141 - Why Kids Need Fairy Tales // Andrew Pudewa — The Christy-Faith Show

Should parents read fairy tales to their kids — even the dark ones? Homeschool expert Christy-Faith sits down with Andrew Pudewa, founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, to talk about why kids need fairy tales and how these old stories shape a child's moral imagination. As Andrew puts it, paraphrasing G.K. Chesterton: children already know dragons exist — fairy tales teach them that dragons can be slain.

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In this episode, you'll learn:

Why reading aloud to children is the most important thing you can do for strong readers, writers, and speakers
What the "moral imagination" is and how stories build it
Why fairy tales may hold more truth than history textbooks
What makes a story a true fairy tale — and where these stories came from
Are fairy tales too scary for kids? How to use your judgment based on age and personality
Why kids need stories about death, loss, and other hard things
How fairy tales teach courage, wisdom, self-control, and justice
How screens crowd out imagination — and why kids should hear the story before they see the movie

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Resources mentioned:

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) — the writing program Christy-Faith's family and co-op use
Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination — Andrew Pudewa's talk on why fairy tales matter
The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen by Jonathan Pageau — Andrew's favorite fairy tale book
Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian — how classic stories awaken a child's moral imagination
The Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature by Mitchell Kalpakgian — books that inspire a love of life
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi — the novel Christy-Faith and Andrew both love
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald — one of Christy-Faith's favorites, free to read online
The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

About our guest:

Andrew Pudewa is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, and spelling with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students' skills.
👉 iew.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

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(00:00) - Introduction
(02:54) - How a Church Banner Sparked His Fairy Tale Research
(06:46) - What Is the Moral Imagination?
(08:58) - Why Stories Teach More Than History Textbooks
(13:13) - What Makes a Story a Fairy Tale?
(16:52) - "Dragons Can Be Slain": Why Fairy Tales Have a Dark Side
(18:32) - Are Fairy Tales Too Scary for Kids?
(24:50) - Why Kids Need Stories About Death and Loss
(27:37) - Are We Protecting Our Kids Too Much?
(29:29) - W