A Study of Fairy Tales

In Short

Laura Fry Kready presents a comprehensive study arguing that fairy tales belong at the core of early primary education. Far from trivial entertainment or mere reading exercises, folk literature serves as a distinct subject that addresses a young child's emotional, imaginative, and social life. Writing for educators, Kready surveys the child's natural interests, breaks down narrative structures, and offers practical guidance on story selection, oral performance, and classroom dramatization. She complements this pedagogical advice with a historical survey tracing fairy tales from ancient oral mythologies and early European collections to modern American children's literature.

The Story

The book advances a systematic argument for transforming how teachers present traditional stories to children between five and seven years old. Kready opens with an educational manifesto asserting that literature must stand as an independent subject rather than a secondary tool for teaching basic reading skills. To build an effective curriculum, educators must understand the child's innate interests, which center on a vivid sense of life, action, sound, and gentle humor rather than dry, static descriptions or terrifying tragedies.

Moving from child psychology to literary mechanics, the text analyzes the structural design of traditional tales. Kready demonstrates how simple stories follow strict principles of composition, featuring clear introductions, rising action, well-defined climaxes, and satisfying conclusions. She examines specific narrative motifs—such as magic sleeps, animal transformations, and marriage tests—and outlines a precise method for teachers to master a story before telling it aloud. This re-creative method demands that educators absorb every structural beat, memorize essential descriptive phrasing, and use vocal cadences to highlight dialogue and sound.

The progression then turns toward student participation and creative expression. Kready argues that listening to a tale should spark active responses from children through free play, drawing, singing, and classroom dramatization. By acting out scenes or playing narrative games, young students build self-reliance, improve physical poise, and internalize core literary values without succumbing to rigid, formal drill.

Finally, the work transitions into a historical survey of folklore, exploring how ancient myths evolved into nursery traditions over centuries. Kready outlines competing scholarly theories regarding the origins of tales—including the idea that stories are remnants of old mythologies, solar allegories, or products of a shared human imagination—and details their transmission through both oral folk culture and written print. She provides detailed historical timelines tracking key publication milestones, from early Italian compilers like Straparola and Basile to British chapbooks and nineteenth-century American printings. The book closes by offering classified bibliographies and structural outlines to equip primary teachers with a rich library of classic and modern stories.

How It Unfolds

Establishing literature's place Kready argues that children's literature must be taught as an independent discipline by trained educators who understand both child psychology and narrative art.

Analyzing child interest and structure The discussion shifts to how young minds react to story elements, demonstrating how classic tales use simple plots, vivid concrete words, and repetitive sound patterns to hold attention without taxing the hearer.

Mastering the art of storytelling Teachers receive step-by-step instructions on analyzing a story's structural beats, learning its specific language, and using vocal expression to convey meaning and humor effectively.

Cultivating creative return The focus moves to student activities, illustrating how children digest stories through imaginative play, rhythm exercises, and classroom dramatizations that build confidence and vocal control.

Tracing historical origins The narrative turns to scholarly history, exploring how ancient myths transformed into nursery tales and evaluating theories on why similar plots appear across different world cultures.

Cataloging print traditions The final section presents chronological records of famous folklore collections and publications, providing teachers with extensive lists of recommended reading and classroom adapters.

The People

Laura Fry Kready The author and guiding voice of the text acts as an earnest advocate for childhood education. She seeks to elevate the teaching of fairy tales into a disciplined, artistic profession. Standing against both dry academic drill and mindless entertainment, she finishes her work having constructed a complete methodology that balances careful literary analysis with an understanding of a child's natural love for play.

The Primary School Teacher Positioned as the practical actor in Kready's framework, the teacher wants to deliver meaningful, lasting instruction to young students. Hindered by a lack of specialized training and an untilled field of children's literature, the teacher learns to analyze narrative structures, master oral delivery, and guide classroom dramatics to become a skilled mediator between classic culture and young minds.

The Young Child The ultimate beneficiary of the book's methods, the young child seeks joy, active movement, and a sense of life. Threatened by deadening educational formalism and overly didactic texts, the child develops imagination, language skills, and poise when offered well-chosen stories that match their cognitive needs and invite creative participation.

In Its Own Voice

"In this curriculum literature has established itself as a subject of unquestioned worth."

Context: Kready opens her preface by establishing that while general literature has earned its place in schools, literature specifically suited for young children is just beginning to take proper shape.

"All that is accomplished of permanent good is a by-product of the enjoyment of the tale."

Context: Discussing child psychology, Kready emphasizes that a story can only convey lasting educational or moral value if it first captures the child's natural interest and brings joy.

"And we must now have a care that education never may become guilty of crushing the spirit of his freedom, spontaneity, and imagination, by a dead formalism in its teaching method."

Context: While advocating for structured dramatization in the classroom, Kready warns teachers against letting rigid instructional methods stifle a child's natural creativity.

What It's Really About

Behind its practical lesson plans and historical timelines, the book argues that fairy tales are foundational tools for human development. Kready contends that a child's imaginative life requires as much deliberate cultivation as their physical or practical skills. By engaging with classic folk motifs, young children learn to navigate complex human emotions, solve problems, and understand social relationships. The text champions the idea that true education works through joy rather than forced memorization, positioning traditional storytelling as a bridge that connects primitive human history, artistic expression, and modern child development.

Why Read It Today

This text appeals to modern educators, literary historians, and parents interested in the origins of childhood reading instruction. Reading it offers an enlightening view into early twentieth-century pedagogy, showing a pivotal moment when educators began treating children's books with serious academic respect. The prose is clean, direct, and deeply passionate about its subject, filled with detailed structural breakdowns of familiar tales like The Three Pigs, Briar Rose, and The Musicians of Bremen.

Readers should prepare for period-specific language, frequent references to early 1900s classroom materials, and long bibliographical lists that reflect the era's educational landscape. Kready's historical references also reflect nineteenth-century scholarly debates on mythology and folklore transmission that have since evolved. Nevertheless, what stays with the reader is Kready's timeless enthusiasm for the oral tradition and her quiet insistence that telling a good story to a child is a craft worthy of intellectual rigor and deep respect.