Wordless picture books trigger conversations at primary level of education

The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that selected wordless picture book Sidewalk Flowers (2015) by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith develop social-emotional skills of learners in primary level of education in English lessons using specific teaching tools suggested by Mikki Rogers (2020) such as character emotion charts, the character tree, the mood meter, character charts and the ruler approach. These tools are gradually implemented during six consecutive 45 minutes English (virtual) model lessons. The first three lessons primarily support learners’ emotional development. The following three lessons are concentrated on the development of positive feelings and their impact on social relationships, social-emotional development of young learners. Based on the qualitative character of the study, we suggest to use a narrative approach and to use the methods of observation, individual interview and a test as a research tool for data collection. Lessons oriented towards social-emotional development of young learners may possibly contribute to the art of noticing which definitely helps the learners to improve the quality of their social contacts, to verbalize and justify their positive and negative emotions, to increase their vocabulary, to foster their self-regulation at school and outside of it and it teaches them to be emotionally resilient. These lessons should be, therefore, an essential part of the school curriculum because they shape cognitive and affective dimensions of the learners. / Keywords: social-emotional development, primary education, wordless picture book, demonstration, English lessons, specific teaching tools, narrative approach.

This article discusses policies governing the English curriculum in Indonesian primary schools. English, as local content or as an extracurricular subject delegated to each school, creates inequality in primary school education as some primary schools offer English learning and many do not, for various reasons such as a lack of qualified human resources at TEYL, or insufficient facilities. This ambivalence eventually creates problems at the primary education level, including a lack of clarity regarding careers for English teachers in primary schools. This results in a limit on the number of tertiary institutions that provide English-teaching education for EYL, so that primary schools in turn employ classroom teachers who have no credentials to teach English in the classroom. This ambivalence would not have occurred if the government had made a firm decision on the existence of English as a subject in Indonesian primary schools. Therefore, the authors of this article make an argument for the importance of mastering English as an international language (EIL) for young learners in non-English-speaking countries, especially in this era of rapid technological development. This article suggests that the government should immediately establish a clear policy regarding the status of English as a primary school subject, and that the curriculum policy in primary schools should no longer designate English as a local content or extracurricular subject, but rather as a compulsory subject which automatically adjusts learning outcomes based on student demographic characteristics. The implication of this article is that English lessons can be taught to all young learners through an eclectic approach.

This qualitative research examines the pedagogical potential of digital storytelling in promoting the social-emotional competence of young students. With an emphasis on technology integration in education, the study investigates how digital storytelling can promote social skills and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills among elementary school students. The study was qualitative in nature. Before the intervention, we conducted an in-depth needs assessment to determine the student's specific social-emotional issues. The research involved intensive interviews with parents and teachers to gain insight into where assistance was needed. Based on the interview findings, we focused on enhancing students' social skills, self-management, relationship skills, problem-solving abilities, self-awareness, and time-management skills. Research was conducted in the Government Primary School in District Shangla, KPK, Pakistan. The study duration was six weeks (April- May 2024). The sample size was grade 5th students. There were 57 grade 5th students, of whom 33 were boys and 24 were girls. In the participants' group, the mean age was 10-11 years, and they had varied academic and family backgrounds. This specific age group is important for social-emotional development. The findings demonstrate how digital storytelling can create emotionally charged, relatable, and immersive learning experiences that help young learners improve their social-emotional skills. According to the study's findings, students who engaged in digital storytelling showed significant increases in empathy and comprehension because they could relate to the characters' sentiments and circumstances. Students' communication and self-expression skills increased significantly, and they demonstrated greater confidence in expressing their ideas and feelings. Collaborative digital storytelling projects that honed interpersonal and cooperation skills facilitated effective student collaboration. The study discovered that their self-awareness increased when participants engaged in reflective activities and shared stories about their feelings and experiences. Based on the study's findings, digital storytelling is an effective pedagogy to apply in promoting young learners' social-emotional skills. By applying technology and storytelling, instructors can design learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and empathetic. This strategy assists students in holistically developing their social-emotional talents while also providing them with the tools they need to deal with the problems of social interactions in the digital age. Future research could examine the long-term impacts of digital storytelling on students' social-emotional development and its use in a variety of educational settings.

Abstract: This study aims to design and develop a wordless picture book to improve the storytelling ability of level B kindergarten students. This research adopted the design and development model proposed by Lee and Owens (2004). Data collection techniques employed storytelling tests, open-ended questionnaire, interview, and observation. The needs analysis was conducted through a storytelling test. The expert judgment involved media experts, children literature experts, and early childhood instructional design experts to assess the prototype of Wordless Picture Book. Storytelling test, observation, and interview were used in the try out process. Quantitative data were obtained from pretest and posttest scores and the questionnaire for expert validation. Descriptive qualitative data analysis techniques were used to process the data interviews. Quantitative data analysis was used to examine the scores obtained from the pre and post-tests. The research produced (1) a wordless picture book design and (b) a product of wordless picture book which has been tested for its effectiveness, efficiency, uses, and practicality in improving children's storytelling ability. Some implications and recommendations are also discussed. Keywords: storytelling, Wordless Picture Book, picture book, early childhood PENGEMBANGAN WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERCERITA PADA ANAK USIA 5 – 6 TAHUN Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan desain dan pengembangan produk berupa Wordless Picture Book dalam rangka meningkatkan kemampuan bercerita dari anak TK kelompok B. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah desain dan pengembangan dari Lee dan Owens (2004). Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tes bercerita, kuesioner terbuka, wawancara, dan observasi. Data yang diperoleh melalui analisis kebutuhan dengan mengukur tes bercerita. Validasi ahli dengan instrumen kuesioner untuk menilai prototipe Wordless Picture Book oleh ahli media, sastra anak, dan desain pembelajaran PAUD; serta data uji coba melalui instrumen tes kemampuan bercerita, lembar observasi, dan wawancara. Teknik analisis data deskriptif kualitatif digunakan untuk mengolah data hasil wawancara. Data kuantitatif diperoleh dari hasil pretes dan posttest kepada anak ketika tes bercerita dan kuesioner untuk validasi ahli. Analisis data pada data kuantitatif akan digunakan desain eksperimen pre-experimental designs dengan one group pretest-posttest design. Hasil penelitian menghasilkan sebuah desain dan pengembangan produk Wordless Picture Book yang telah teruji efektivitas, efisiensi, kegunaan, dan kemudahannya dalam meningkatkan kemampuan bercerita anak. Penelitian ini berimplikasi pada dihasilkannya suatu cara di dalam mendesain dan mengembangkan Wordless Picture Book yang mampu meningkatkan kemampuan bercerita anak usia dini. Kata kunci : bercerita, Wordless Picture Book, buku bergambar, anak usia dini

The centrality of listening and speaking skills to developing young learner English is unquestionable. The foreign language curriculum in primary schools has, therefore, prioritised the development of communicative competence, with a particular emphasis on oral skills of listening and speaking. This chapter discusses how young learners’ listening and speaking skills can be effectively promoted. The theoretical perspective of the nature of listening and speaking will be related to the characteristics of young learners (YLs), followed by a discussion of teacher-related and curriculum-related issues as two critical subjects in young learner listening and speaking skills. A review of research in listening and speaking with YLs focuses on two areas: pedagogy and second language acquisition. In addition, some exemplary listening and speaking activities will be presented to show how the development of these skills can be achieved in young learner classrooms. Future investigation related to listening and speaking is suggested to be directed to support the provision of quality language teacher preparation at pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes to address listening and speaking problems.

The study aimed to identify and rank the fundamental components of the peace education curriculum in primary schools from the perspective of experts. This applied research adopted a descriptive–analytical approach and a mixed exploratory design (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, ten professors and Ph.D. students in curriculum studies at Allameh Tabataba’i University were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a three-stage thematic analysis method. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population comprised 890 primary school teachers in Khorramabad during the 2024–2025 academic year. A researcher-made questionnaire based on qualitative findings was distributed among 115 participants selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis with PLS software. The qualitative findings identified five key components of peace education: peaceful coexistence, human dignity, cognitive factors, emotional factors, and behavioral factors. Quantitative results confirmed the significance of all components at the 99% confidence level. Among them, cognitive factors had the highest factor loading (0.85), followed by human dignity, behavioral factors, emotional factors, and peaceful coexistence. Peace education in primary schools is a multidimensional process requiring simultaneous attention to children’s cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and moral domains. The findings highlight that integrating peace education into the curriculum through cognitive development, emotional literacy, and social skill training can foster peace-oriented attitudes and responsible citizenship among young learners.

Wordless picture books (WPBs) are increasingly recognized as effective tools for enhancing reading comprehension and language acquisition among young learners in second language education. This study explores their integration into primary education settings, emphasizing their ability to foster creativity, develop narrative skills, and support vocabulary growth. By relying solely on illustrations, WPBs encourage learners to construct meaning, engage with visual cues, and interact with stories in open ended ways. The findings highlight diverse methodological approaches, including qualitative and quantitative studies, which reveal the potential of these books to promote bilingual literacy and reduce language barriers. Despite the promising potential of WPBs, significant gaps remain in the current literature, particularly in the areas of teacher perspectives, cultural adaptations, and the integration of modern technologies. Future research should specifically address these gaps. WPBs. Additionally, there is a need to investigate how emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) or interactive digital platforms, can enhance the learning experience with WPBs. Focusing on these aspects will allow researchers to optimize the integration of WPBs in second language classrooms, making them more accessible and effective for a wide range of learners.

본 연구에서는 글 없는 그림책에 나타난 창의성을 분석하기 위해 종합 창의성 모델 (ACCM)에 근거하여 연구를 진행하였다. 분석 대상 그림책은 국내에서 제작 및 번역되어 출판되고 있는 글 없는 그림책 중 등장인물의 창의적 행동이 나타나며 사실과 환상 세계의 배경을 함께 담고 있는 환상 그림책 총 38권을 선정하였다. 분석을 위해서는 우선, 글 없는 그림책에 나타난 등장인물을 살펴보았으며, 등장인물이 표현하는 창의성의 유형과 영역은 어떠한지를 살펴보았다. 연구 결과, 먼저 글 없는 그림책에 나타난 등장인물로는 ‘사람’이 가장 많이 등장하였으며 그 다음으로 ‘사물’, ‘의인화된 동물’, ‘의인화되지 않은 동물’, ‘가상 인물’ 순으로 나타났다. 둘째, 글 없는 그림책에 나타난 등장인물의 창의성 구성 요인으로는 ‘민감성’, ‘상상력’이 가장 많이 나타났으며, 그 다음으로 ‘융통성’, ‘독창성’, ‘유창성’, ‘정교 성’ 순으로 나타났다. 셋째, 글 없는 그림책에 나타난 등장인물의 창의성 영역으로는 ‘동작 창의성’이 가장 많이 나타났으며 그 다음으로 ‘조작 창의성’, ‘도형 창의성’, ‘소리 창의성’, ‘언어 창의성’ 순으로 나타났다. 이상의 연구 결과를 바탕으로 본 연구에서는 추후 글 없는 그림책을 활용한 문학적․교육적 접근 방향을 제시하였다.This study would analyze focusing on the characters in order to examine the creativity shown in the wordless picture books. In this study, 38 wordless picture books that were produced, translated and published in Korea were selected for analysis. For the analysis, I first looked at the characters that appeared in the wordless picture books, and then looked into the types and areas of creativity expressed by the characters. As a result, first, ‘person’ appeared in the picture book without text, followed by ‘thing’, ‘animated animal’, ‘unpersonified animal’, and ‘virtual character’. Second, the most common types of characters appeared in wordless picture books were ‘sensitivity’ and ‘imagination’, followed by ‘flexibility’, ‘originality’, ‘flexibility’, and ‘elaboration’. Third, ‘behavioral creativity’was the most common in the creativity of characters in wordless picture books, followed by ‘anipulative creativity’ ‘igural creativity’ ‘sound creativity’, and ‘linguistic creativity’. Based on the above findings, this study suggests a literary and educational approach that uses wordless picture books.

Reviewed by: The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks ed. by Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer Jan Susina (bio) The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks, edited by Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer. Routledge, 2018. As Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer writes in the introduction to this massive 500+ page volume, The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks is intended to provide "a critical survey of what is going on and what has already been done in international picturebook research" (5). This collection is divided into five broad and overlapping sections: Concepts and topics; Picturebook categories; Interfaces; Domains; and Adaptations and remediation. The volume includes forty-eight essays on various facets of picturebooks from a range of contributors, including children's literature scholars, psychologists, art historians, linguists, educationalists, film scholars, and media scholars from Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. In recent years, Kümmerling-Meibauer has established herself as a prolific editor, or coeditor, of collections of essays dealing with children's literature including Maps and Mapping in Children's Literature (2017), coedited with Nina Goga; Canon Constitution and Canon Change in Children's Literature (2017), coedited with Anja Müller; Children's Literature and the Avant-Garde (2015), coedited with Elina Druker; Learning from Picturebooks (2015), coedited with Jörg Meibauer, et al.; Picturebooks: Representations and Narration (2014); Manga's Cultural Crossroads (2013), coedited with Jaqueline Berndt; New Directions in Picturebook Research (2012), coedited with Teresa Colomer and Cecilia Silva-Díaz; and Beyond Pippi Longstocking (2011), coedited with Astrid Surmatz. Some of the topics and issues addressed in these previous collections of essays are revisited in The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks. As noted in the introduction, a picturebook may appear to be a simple text on the initial reading but with reflection can be quite complex. Even the definition and spelling of the term are open to debate. Kümmerling-Meibauer notes in the introduction that while English dictionaries recommend the spelling is two words, "picture book," scholars in the field use the term "picturebook" to show the inseparable unit of pictures and text. Nevertheless, a number of scholars separate the term into two words, "picture book," including Perry Nodelman in the groundbreaking study Words about Pictures: The Narrative Art of [End Page 251] Children's Picture Books (1988), Ellen Handler Spitz in Inside Picture Books (1999), Jane Doonan's entry of "The Modern Picture Book" in Peter Hunt's International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (1996), Maria Nikolajeva's entry on "Picture Books" and Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer's own entry on "Illustration" in Jack Zipes's The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (2006), as well as William Moebius's entry on "Picture Books" in Philip Nel and Lissa Paul's Keywords for Children's Literature (2011). Kümmerling-Meibauer suggests the common agreement of the characteristics of a picturebook are the medium (a book) and the content (pictures) (3). But from there, this concept becomes a bit more ambiguous, since not all picturebooks include a text—Emma Bosch provides the entry on "Wordless picturebooks"—and there is a generally accepted distinction between illustrated books and picturebooks—Elizabeth Bird and Junko Yokota provide the entry on "Picturebooks and illustrated books." Bird and Yokota consider an illustrated book to be any book that contains at least one illustration, and if one were to remove the illustrations, the writing would stand alone. Given the importance of the illustrations to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), or E. B. White's Charlotte's Web (1952), all of which are illustrated books, this doesn't always seem to be true. Helma van Lierop-Debrauwer argues in her entry on "Hybridity in picturebooks" that "[s]cholars involved in picturebook research unanimously agree that picturebooks are a unique art form" and that the result of the "synergy between verbal and visual language makes picturebooks a hybrid [form]" (81). While picturebooks may be a unique art form, the most compelling section of this collection is "Interfaces," where contributors examine picturebooks in light of other closely aligned forms, such as Johanna Drucker's entry on "Artists' books and picturebooks," Lara Saguisag's "Picturebooks and comics," and Jane Wattenberg's "Picturebooks...

This study aims to examine the change and transformation of geographical education in the Turkish primary school curriculum between 1923-2018. The research uses a qualitative document review method and a descriptive analysis process to analyse the data. Nine primary school programs created by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) are identified as research documents. Dates of primary school curricula in Turkey between 1923-2018 are analyzed: 1924, 1926, 1936, 1948, 1962, 1968, 1997, 2005 and 2018. The 1924 Boys' Primary School curriculum is a continuation of the pre-republic program and geographical education was included in Grades three, four and five under the name “Geography”. The 1926 Primary School curriculum, and the 1936 Primary School curriculum, and the 1948 Primary School curriculum all include the name “Geography”. The 1962 Primary School curriculum includes geographical education as “Society and Country Studies” and “Science and Nature” in Grades Four and Five. The lesson information in the 1968 Primary School curriculum and also in 1997, 2005 and 2018 show geographical education as “Social Studies”, “Science (1968 and 1997), “Science and Technology” (2005) and “Science” (2018) for Grades Four and Five. From the 1926 Primary School curriculum to the 2018 Primary School curriculum, it is evident that geographical education occurs in Grades One, Two, and Three and Geography was included under the name of “life knowledge, which is a combination of Geography, History, Civics, Nature, and Science. It was determined the course hours differed from program. Purpose/objectives related to geographical education have gradually decreased. Given the importance of geographical education from the primary school level, achievements related to geography education can be increased.

The study was designed to investigate challenges facing the implementation of competency based curriculum (CBC) in primary schools in Kenya. It dealt with the following aspects: Teacher’s preparedness, availability and adequacy of teaching materials, level of collaboration between different government agencies and opportunities available for proper implementation of CBC in primary schools. The study employed a mixed research design. The sample for the study comprised 200 primary schools, 200 head teachers, 200 primary teachers and 4 Kenya national union of teachers sub branch secretaries drawn from Bungoma County. Data were collected using questionnaire, interviews and observation. It was then analysed both qualitative and quantitatively. The finding from this study reveal that the introduction of competency based curriculum into education system in Kenya primary schools was hurriedly done and not systematically planned and implemented; with minimal training of majority of teachers on its contents and teaching methods which tends to hinder their application of essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum. There was general lack of adequate approved textbooks for teachers and learners as well as instructional materials. Parents and other educational stakeholders’ involvement and public participation in the curriculum reforms process was not adequate. Classrooms were overcrowded with pupils ranging from 70 – 100 per stream. With these kinds of challenges, the success of the new curriculum is in doubt. It is therefore recommended that the ministry of education and other stakeholders should devote more efforts to the development of teachers’ and head teachers’ understanding of the CBC approach , assist in the construction of classrooms in primary schools and provision of adequate resources and facilities as well as sensitize and involve parents during parents teachers association (PTAS) meetings. Keywords: competency based curriculum, Kenya, Parents’ Teachers Association, Education stakeholders, Respondents. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-32-06 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Social emotional skills and moral development are fundamental skills that significantly influence a child’s process of becoming a healthy adult. The development of these skills from an early age contributes to personality growth and the formation of a healthy and happy individual. In addition to academic achievements, children’s social-emotional development, moral understanding, and acquisition of values are also important in their individualisation process. Creative drama, as a widely used method in multidimensional learning, can be an effective tool to support the development of these skills. Drama activities that provide experiential learning contribute to social skills, emotion regulation, moral development, and may enhance children’s awareness while engaging them in enjoyable learning experiences. In this study, the research question was: “Do the creative drama trainings received by children have an effect on their social-emotional and moral development?” A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used. Within the scope of the research, 20 hours of drama practice were carried out with 15 volunteer children aged 8-11 years. Pre-test and post-test data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 23. The analyses examined changes in social emotional and moral development following the intervention. Results indicate that creative drama education was associated with increases in children’s emotional awareness, empathy skills, and moral reasoning. Creative drama participation was linked to statistically significant improvements in social-emotional and moral development scores. The programme appeared to improve students’ performance, and participants reported increased awareness as a result of the activities.

Social acceptance is an important aspect of interactions in young learners and may influence children’s emotional and cognitive development. Inhibitory control, which is a partial function of executive functioning, is essential for effective impulse control and self-regulation. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between social acceptance and inhibitory control in primary school children. In this study, the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functions System (D-KEFS) subscales for measuring inhibitory control (Delis et al., 2001) and the Self-perception Profile for Children (SPPC) subscale of the Social Acceptance Questionnaire (Babinčák et al., 2012) were used to measure the values of the variables. The sample consisted of randomly selected 141 children in their fourth year of primary school with a mean age of 9.4 years. Results showed a significant positive correlation between the level of social acceptance and inhibitory control. Specifically, children who felt more accepted by their peers showed higher impulse control and behavioral regulation. The findings revealed that the development of inhibitory control may contribute to better social acceptance and thus to positive cognitive and emotional development in students.

Narrative dialogic reading with wordless picture books: A cluster-randomized intervention study

Learning in primary schools still tends to focus more on cognitive achievement than on the development of students’ social-emotional skills, resulting in these aspects not being optimally developed. This study aims to examine the social-emotional development of primary school students within thematic learning based on a review of relevant literature. The research employed a library research method with a qualitative approach, involving the examination and analysis of books, national and international journal articles, and scholarly documents related to thematic learning and students’ social-emotional development. The findings indicate that thematic learning plays a strategic role in supporting students’ social-emotional development through collaborative activities, social interaction, and meaningful learning experiences. Thematic learning is also consistent with developmental and learning theories that emphasize the importance of social interaction, emotional regulation, and student-centered learning. The implications of this study highlight the need for teachers and schools to systematically integrate social-emotional development into the planning and implementation of thematic learning in order to create a learning process that is oriented toward character building in primary school students.