ABSTRACT
Research on the development of historical understanding has focused on secondary students. Research has rested on the premise that historical understanding is demonstrated in the ability to analyze and interpret passages of history—or at least passages containing historical names, dates, and events. Children respond to history long before they are capable of handling tests of historical understanding. Research needs to be extended to include focus on the range of evidence available through naturalistic inquiry. Classroom observation suggests that narrative is a potent spur to historical interest. Such an approach also allows the researcher to focus on response as the ongoing construction of meaning as children encounter history in literature. In interviews, children reported overwhelmingly that they loved the opportunity to choose their own books, to explore topics in depth, and to work independently. The children adopted the storyteller’s voice rather than the more distant and impersonal reportorial tone.
