ABSTRACT OF THE STUDY
The basis of this project was to design and re-illustrate ‘Sine Madyika’ ny
Lauren V. Macaraeg using digital media and paper mechanisms to make the
children’s book more interactive, fun, and appealing to children. The
illustrations were drawn and rendered digitally, then printed and formed to
make them pop up. Different kinds of paper mechanisms, all of which fit the
scenes they were placed in, were used to give the readers a better image of
the story. Overall, the researcher’s approach was very careful as to not make
the illustrations too heavy with details, but still enough to give the characters
personalities that fit them. Upon completion of this study, the researcher found
that the execution was able to answer the research problems and attain its
objectives.
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Table of contents:
I.
Chapter
A. Introduction
B. Statement of the Problem
C. Objectives of the Study
D. Scope and Limitation
E. Significance of the Study
F. Research Methodology
G. Definition of Terms
II. Chapter
A. Review of Related Literature and Work
B. Study Framework
1.
Theoretical
2. Conceptual
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CHAPTER I
Introduction and background of the book
The children’s book Sine Madyika by Lauren V. Macaraeg with
illustrations by Aldy Aguirre was the chosen book, as it aligns with the
researcher’s advocacy and desire to make a pop-up book that can be enjoyed
by everyone. It tells of a story of how two boys’ imagination and creativity can
bring happiness to those with disabilities, and to those who believe in them,
and that their shortcomings cannot stop them from pursuing their dreams.
The main characters of the book are two best friends, Popoy and DJ.
While Popoy may be blind, his friend DJ plays with him, and they “watch
movies” directed by DJ, which delights Popoy because they can be enjoyed by
the audience, even the blind, like himself. Using their imagination and things
DJ borrowed from his family, they can play and create a world where even blind
kids like Popoy can be the hero.
Aside from being aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, illustrations serve as a
graphic representation of words or even bits and parts of the story. With
illustrations, readers are then able to grasp their mind around the characters
and the scenarios, as sometimes, words cannot exactly describe things such
as emotions. There can be illustrations provided to aid the readers, and
although not directly, tell them how to feel. It is quite difficult to imagine an
object, an animal, or even a scenario if it has not been seen or experienced
yet. DJ, instead of just reading a book out loud or describing a movie to Popoy,
he goes and makes up stories of adventures where his friend does not have to
remain seated, and instead, join in on the fun. Pop-up books are interactive
and help improve learning by helping them build their vocabulary and teach the
value of visualization.
Graphics and visuals, on the other hand, aside from minimal text
(unless more is needed), are what most advertisements go for. Advertising is
often described as a form of communication through various media, that aims
to persuade, inform, or sell. As advertising is a field that thrives on creativity,
illustrations are often used to grab its audience's attention and interpret the
message or story behind the poster or commercial. Most children are visual
learners, where they learn better by copying or imitating what they see. They
can be referred to as the instigators in the purchasing process. When they see
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something that catches their attention entirely, or something they saw from a
classmate, they would tell their parents about it, which also starts the
purchasing process. They would want one as well, and ask their parents to buy
whatever that is, for them. The parents then, would have to start asking around
about the toy or product. And if they do decide that it would not harm their child,
or it will help, and they will learn a lot from it, they will go to a store to purchase
it.
The children are the target audience and the end users because the book is
geared towards their age bracket, while the parents or the adults are the target
market, because they get the final say whenever they must buy something,
which children cannot, as they do not particularly have the power or the ability
to purchase for themselves yet.
Statement of the problem
As it has been said, illustrations help give its audience and/or target
market an idea or make meanings to words. Bright and colorful pictures in
books keep children excited and want for more. Which then leads to asking for
more, that then leads to increase of sales. In line with this, the researcher must
seek a solution/s to these problems:
• The book in its state is not as engaging.
• The art is stylized but does not seem to be aimed towards
children.
• Millennials are more attracted to interactive materials, rather
than just reading.
• Promotions for the book are lacking.
Objectives of the study
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The researcher wants to give children the opportunity to learn while
having fun, to help them build their vocabulary and enhance their visualization,
In line with this, the study aims:
• To improve the researcher’s personal art style.
• To promote literacy and creativity in children.
• To create illustrations that will be able to entertain and capture
the interests of children.
• To determine the different strategies and effective media in
reaching the target market and target audience/users.
• To create an ad campaign the advocates the value of friendship,
the importance of supporting each other’s dreams, and the
benefit of the Lampara Publishing House.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This research will focus on material exploration that will be used to
enhance the experience for children while reading the book. The story will
remain the same, as only the illustrations and presentation will be enhanced.
Textures, paints, and other materials will be used to re-create the scenes and
elements from the children's book Sine Madyika. There will also be illustrations
designed to capture the eyes and interest of children, and to match the pop-up
features of the book. The campaign will focus on ads on print media and
promotions on various social media platforms. The primary target market are
children 3-9 years old, while the secondary target market will be millennials 1925 years old. Promotions will be designed and crafted to cater to their tastes.
Limitations
Limitations to this research concern the fact that the story may have
English translations, it will be aimed towards Filipino children, as it is locally
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written and published. It will be distributed in bookstores like National
Bookstore, Powerbooks, and Fully Booked. It will be released around
Christmas time to make it the perfect gift for children. Another limitation is that
the publisher and the author take too long to reply, even via email. Aside from
that, factors that count as a limitation is the lack of possible features for the
pop-up, and the reach of the book towards the target market; despite being
aimed for the children, there are still a number who do not have access to
proper education or do not have means to acquire a physical copy of the book.
Significance of the study
The main purpose of this study is to encourage children to read, and to
help them see the importance of visualization. To raise children's awareness
and appreciation towards art and illustrations is also one of the main purposes
of the study.
For the author, may their book receive the appreciation and recognition it
deserves.
For the publisher, Lampara Publishing House, they may use this study as a
reference to know their strengths they can focus on, and weaknesses they can
improve on. The publishing house would also be able to gain information for
their target market, which this study centers on. Lampara Publishing House
may also use this study as a reference to further promote their advocacy, and
to promote love and acceptance of each other’s differences.
For the bookstores where the books will be distributed and sold at, may the
book's new display stand help increase its sales and promote reading as both
a hobby and a learning method.
For illustrators who wish to have an idea of what children might like, despite
the ever-changing trends, they may have an idea, or they can base this
research on their own sketches.
For the students, and future researchers, may this study serve as a reference
to help them in concept development for an advocacy-based advertisement.
This study may also serve as a training for the fulfillment of their current
advertising practice courses, and for their thesis as well.
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For the advertising industry, advertising agencies would benefit from this study
and would be useful as insight on the perception of children and parents
regarding disabled children.
And for the Filipino parents as a target market and as the target audience for
this campaign, they will benefit from the study as it will give them an idea on
how they can connect more with their children, and spend more time with them,
by means of storytelling.
Research methodology
To begin the research, to be able to gather primary data from the author
and publishers themselves, a letter of invitation and intent will have to be written
and proofed before sending it to the author and publishers. And questions will
have to be prepared to be asked for when the author and/or publisher agrees
to meet, and for the survey questionnaires that will be distributed.
An interview will be needed, but before it can be conducted, a letter of invitation
that states the purpose will be made and sent to the publisher and the author
of the book. The survey will serve as a primary source of information that will
further support the research. The data acquired will be used to help improve
the study and the illustrations, and even give the researcher a background on
the book itself.
Respondents will be millennials, preferably those with younger siblings,
and parents, who have children ages 3-11 years old. The survey will be
distributed online via Google Forms and will be disseminated randomly to
students and millennials.
The survey will have nineteen (19) questions that will test the respondents'
awareness regarding the book and build their desire and interest to look
forward to the final product of the study and call them to act upon the call to
help promote the aims of this study.
Statistics that will back the research up, will be researched and provided to give
more information regarding the research variables, like sales and reader count.
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Definition of terms
Imagination - it refers to the ability to form a picture in your mind of
something that you have not seen or experienced.
Creativity - it refers to the ability to make new things or think of new
ideas.
Movie - it refers to a recording of moving images that tells a story and
that people watch on a screen or television.
Visualization - it refers to the act or process of interpreting in visual
terms or of putting into visible form.
Interactive - it refers to the design to respond to the actions,
commands, etc., of a user.
Engaging - it refers to very attractive or pleasing in a way that holds
your attention.
Storytelling - it refers to the act of reading, writing, and reciting tales
and stories.
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CHAPTER II
Review of related literature and works
Illustration has been around since the Paleolithic Age, when prehistoric
people had drawn representations and images of what they in the environment
on cave walls. These illustrations helped historians and archaeologists date
back artifacts and aid them in their research. From then onwards, illustrations
came in forms such as Egyptians’ way of writing called Hieroglyphs, Japanese
and Chinese woodcut art and paintings for aristocrats, and illustrations in
books. In the olden days, illustrated books and artworks were considered a
luxury because of its expensive materials and the fact that not many people
can control a brush or pen. In the modern age, illustrations are not just limited
to books or paintings. They can also be found in advertisements and posters,
practically everywhere. Advertisements have started back then in the form of
town criers, mostly in oral form when relaying information and selling products.
But now with the constantly developing styles and technology, the advertising
industry thrives on creativity and illustrations to capture their audience’s
attention; the world is always moving forward and never stopping, that is why
these posters and commercials are designed to capture and cater to people’s
different interests and even follow the current trends.
The spark and history of Lampara Publishing House
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“To manufacture and provide the basic tools and materials, both interactive and
activity-based, needed in the introduction of early academic learning to
children.”
Lampara Publishing House started in 1997 with their EASY TO LEARN
BOOKS when co-publishers Segundo “Jun” Matias Jr. and Richard Reynante
founded Precious Pages Corporation (PPC), they decided to diversify from
publishing popular literature (Tagalog romance books). Having established
PPC in 1992, and after gaining success in the publication of romance
pocketbooks in the next five years, Jun and Richard investigated another area
of print media, and that is Children’s books; Richard used to head the writing
of several children’s shows for ABS-CBN Channel 2.
The first book, Connect the Dots and Color was submitted for evaluation by a
walk-in artist, one of the few who responded to Jun’s call for the need of
concepts for activity books that catered to preschool children. The favorable
response to the book in terms of sales and feedback urged Jun and Richard to
further venture and explore the field, doing research and studies that would
help them be more committed to publishing children’s books. This was around
the time when local publishing firms were publishing limited copies of children’s
books; most children’s books were imported by local distributors and outlets.
naturally, these books only catered and marketed to the needs of the elite.
Inspired to contribute what they can to the industry, Jun and Richard set up,
within PPC, a core editorial staff to lead the growing production of its book
imprint, Easy to Learn Books. Once this was solidified, Lampara Publishing
House, Inc. (LPHI) was founded, and became the sister company of PPC.
Under LPHI, the imprint Lampara Books was established, aimed to bring not
only to children, but also to parents, teachers, and caregivers’ stories from the
current picks of children’s literature in the country. With illustrations in full colors
and stories by award-winning writers, stories were written in two languages,
Filipino and English to reach a greater number of readers here in the
Philippines and in other parts of the world.
In 2000, Jun and Richard attended the Singapore International Book Festival,
the first of a series of international book festivals and fairs they started attending
annually. Ensuing trips to such festivals/fairs to the US; Frankfurt, Germany;
Tokyo, Japan; Taipei, Taiwan; and Bologna, Italy helped them arouse the
company’s commitment to publishing children’s books.
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The eventual participation of Lampara Books and Easy to Learn Books in these
foreign book festivals paved the way for the accession of rights by foreign book
distributors to several titles published by the company. Wins Holland, a book
manufacturer-distributor in Belgium, acquired the rights to the titles of several
Easy to Learn books that were translated into Dutch and Portuguese for the
European and Brazilian markets. Additionally, the rights to several titles from
Lampara Books imprint were acquired by a Singaporean book distributor, and
translated into Mandarin, Tamil, Malay, and Bahasa Indonesia for the
Southeast Asian market.
Back to their local setting, in their bid to make children’s books more accessible
for the local market, Lampara Books-Easy to Learn Books also started the
importation of children’s books, as well as the acquisition rights to books from
other countries for distribution. In 2003, the company began acquiring the rights
to conceptualize, write, produce and distribute books on popular characters,
including Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, Winnie the Pooh, Barney, Disney
Princesses, Barbie, Marvel Superheroes, The Lion King and Toy Story.
In its tenth year in the business, Lampara Publishing House, Inc. is slowly but
surely making its way into the global market. Proof of this is the birth, in 2005,
of Easy to Learn Sydney - ETL Sydney - a business branch of the company in
Australia, the first in a planned establishment of business branches of the
company in strategic locations.
Today, what used to be a mere “children’s department” at the PPC has become
a full-fledged publishing company of not only children’s books, but children’s
learning aids and paraphernalia as well. The company’s editorial unit, through
its core staff, now manages a stable of freelance contributors from the
academe: child psychologists, preschool teachers, experienced child
caregivers, MassCom students and graduate, as well as professional and
beginning writers.
LPHI is a member of books Exporter of the Philippines, Book Development
Association of the Philippines, Inc., National Book Development Board, and the
Manila International Book Fair.
My (own) idea of literature
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I was an avid reader in my younger years, always had been hanging
out at the library back then during grade school and high school. My school’s
libraries were my safe havens; I would stay there until it was closing time, sitting
at a table near the check-out counter, and immersed in a fictional world far from
what we live in. I mostly went for the adventure and mystery genres, I’ve
checked out, and read our grade school library’s Nancy Drew collection, and
the heavily illustrated Geronimo Stilton series. After that, I went for some
random series and books. I also used to buy books from book sales (where
they are cheaper) and I always received books for my birthday and Christmas
(which I am, still grateful for), which is why I have quite a good number of fiction
books at home.
One of the first books I received as a gift and have read the most times from
my collection (a total of eight times from my grade school years until my
sophomore year in high school) was an autobiography of a Cambodian girl who
shared her own and her family’s hardships during the war. It opened my eyes
to the real world; what has happened before and that there were, are people
aside from myself who are suffering, even graver situations than mine. I was
able to expand my vocabulary and appreciate what I have, because we do not
know until when will the peace will stay. Change and conflicts are inevitable,
so we must be emotionally and physically ready for any time then.
I believe, starting to read and understanding what had just been read will help
a child out in the long run. Currently, I am proud to say that one of my skills is
that I can read fast, enough, while still being able to understand what I’ve just
read, and even talk about the gist of the material.
It might have started back in grade school when my mother forbade me from
borrowing books because I would read them instead of my textbooks. So, after
classes, while waiting for my mom to pick me up, I would read a book. Poring
over the pages, my eyes would scan page after page. My mom’s work finished
an hour after my classes, around the same time the library closes, so I would
rush my readings until then.
That was also around the time one of my aunts suggested that I keep a Reading
Journal, where I was supposed to write down the details and the summary
every time I read a book. I tried to do it daily, or at most after each book I read,
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but I got too lazy to keep track. I can only remember that around high school, I
would be moving up levels in SRA Time in two to three meetings; I could finish
a book within a day, two- or three-days max, if I wasn’t too busy. In my senior
year of high school, I was able to read through materials for my thesis in
between naps; I managed to make fifteen notecards for it, too.
Back in the day when gadgets and cellular phones were not as
advanced as they are today, grade schoolers and high schoolers can be found
nose-deep into novels and (pocket) books as a means of relieving stress and
relaxing from their schoolwork. Some would prefer colorful magazines over the
plain pages of a classic, but nonetheless are still considered literature. Reading
is one of the higher forms of leisure, because as one begins poring over the
chapters of book, aside from enjoying themselves without having to worry about
their jobs or schoolwork, they are still learning.
Reading is a way to improve one’s vocabulary and help them in cognitive
development, as well as how a person can react in a certain situation. Those
who prefer to read books over socializing with other people are also well-versed
with how to interact outside their safe zones, since they will have read lots of
books already, they’ve seen how different kinds of people are described, and
how each interact with the other characters, they are given an idea how to act
when they meet that kind of person when they step out.
Reading can help broaden one’s vocabulary while reading along, because
aside from learning new and unfamiliar words, they can see how they are used
in sentences, and they can understand its meaning as they go along the story.
Aside from interpersonal relationships, readers can also learn to develop
empathy; readers can develop their emotional maturity. Certain stories have
characters that must make decisions that will change the entire course of the
story. These decisions will have an emotional effect not only on the story’s
characters, but also to its readers as well, and it will let them decide and trust
their own instincts, have them make choices while thinking of not just
themselves and their own desires, but also the effects it will bring.
A. Definition of literature and where it started
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The word literature derives from the Latin word
‘litteratura' meaning “writing formed with letters”, and it refers to most
written, and some spoken materials, that are works of creativity and
imagination. Other forms are poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction,
journalism, and songs. Literature can represent the cultures and
traditions of a language and/or its people (Lombardi, 2014). In the
earlier ages, people would rather tell stories personally than have them
printed or published because of the limited number of printing presses,
which is why having a printed copy of a story or lesson was considered
a luxury.
B. Different literature for different societies
Narratives, folklore, legends, epics, and poems are just
some of the examples of literary works that can be found in the
Philippines. having a rich culture and adopting various traditions, the
Philippines There are some Filipino literary works in the form of songs.
Songs and folklore also considered forms of literature since they are
created from the common folks’ creativity mostly based off their daily
lives, their religion, or love. There are many acts or narratives that are
derived from religious figures and events due to the influence the
Spaniards have brought with them when they first arrived at the islands.
C. Genre and common types found in Filipino literature
Genre is a word that refers to a specific type of music,
film, or writing; a category or style in art and literature that involves a
particular set of characteristics that makes the entire idea and concept
of the story or book.
There are works that fall under the Post-War category, which
tells of stories, fiction and nonfiction, how the Filipinos fell in the middle
of two world wars. It depicts Filipinos and how they struggled to go back
to their normal lives.
Another famous topic to be written off and about is the concept of love,
which is not exact and accurate, nor does it have a physical form, thus
it may come in different shapes and sizes. Filipino writers and
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songwriters have all been very creative in expressing their own
interpretations of love.
Aside from love, religion, and the Post-War times, one of the wellreceived genres in Filipino literature is Adventure. Before the Spaniards
arrived at the previously unnamed island of the Philippines, the
inhabitants already had their own religion where they believed that there
were beings and spirits in the plants and animals around them. They
treated nature as they would treat a benevolent god or deity.
To entertain themselves from their routine of everyday life, people have
come up with stories that starred characters who possess incredible
powers, and battle with unimaginable monsters and gods, and go on
journeys to fulfill tasks or rescue a damsel in distress, and this genre is
called adventure.
D. The adventure genre with regards to children’s fiction
The adventure genre has certain characteristics to
possess to be considered one. it should have:
1. High endeavor, or as defined by the MerriamWebster dictionary, to strive, to attempt to
achieve as a fulfillment of an obligation. It
must have characters going on perilous
endeavors, and never once completely giving
up.
2. Uncertain outcome, or due to the endeavors
the characters are going on, the outcome
may or may not be as positive or successful
as the themes or book covers suggest. This
way, readers are hooked and sitting at the
edge of their seats until they reach the end of
the book or series.
3. Total commitment, or as defined by the
Merriam-Webster dictionary, commitment is
a promise to do or give something; how
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characters will have put their minds and
entire beings into fulfilling that one task.
4. Tolerance for adversity, or in layman’s terms,
the willingness, ability to accept, experience,
or survive a difficult situation or condition,
misfortune or tragedy. Heroes in most
adventure type books must go through
numerous challenges and battles before they
can achieve their goals. And,
5. Great companionship, like most adventure
type books, the main character will have to
have his own ragtag team of friends (or foes),
and either leave his home along with his
closest friends, or along the way, he or she
will meet characters who will join him on his
travels, growing and helping each other
develop new skills and master their weapons.
E.
Children’s
literature
and
its
importance
in
children’s
development
Reading helps children develop their cognitive skills to
be able to succeed in a school or work setting, as Crippen (2012)
mentioned in her journal entry, The Value of Children’s Literature,
Children’s literature is valuable because it gives student opportunities
to respond to literature; it helps children and students’ emotional
intelligence and creativity. It nurtures the students’ growth and
development of their personality and social skills, and it helps in passing
down knowledge and information and themes and ideas from one
generation to another.
Giving children and students literature and books to read strengthens
their cognitive development as the reading to acquire information
encourages them to think deeper, and to understand. It also gives them
an opportunity to formulate their own opinions about the topic.
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Children’s book for earlier ages are heavily illustrated to
be able to help them recall and identify certain pictures that correspond
to word; they are challenged to come up with a summary of a wordless
book. As they grow up, illustrations will come less and less, to help
children develop their cognitive skills to analyze the dialogue and
descriptions to be able to visualize in their mind what was being referred
to in the material.
Stories have emotional power that helps children develop their morals
and understand the rights from wrongs. As most children literature
“contain numerous moments of crisis, when the characters make moral
decisions and contemplate reasons for their decisions,” it is an
important skill for children to see, and somehow emulate (Norton,
2010). Children’s literature encourages children to think deeper about
their own feelings.
Children’s literature also encourages creativity. As it has been
mentioned earlier, books and stories have the power to make children
think deeply, to imagine what was described in the pages. Norton
explains “the role that literature plays in nurturing and expanding the
imagination” (2010) is invaluable. The engaging designs and
interactivity of children’s books promote the development of students’
imagination.
There are different kinds and genres of books, yet
despite these differences, though children may not be able to tell the
difference, the adults and older siblings, perhaps, can guide them.
There are such that gives information and provides them with
information about the world; there are books that display and discuss a
different country’s culture and traditions, that country’s people and
customs and their everyday life, circumstances they experience, this
gives children a wider sense and understanding on things happening
around them. Conflicts and problems characters (from different
perspectives) in the books face are presented to children and it
challenges them to think, and sometimes even adapt, and empathize
with the characters.
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Reading such texts also challenges children their critical analysis skills
and see if they have recalled and understand what they have read, and
if they can integrate what they’ve concluded into their own context.
F. Stages of reading education for children
As von Stockar (2006) has explained, books that
children can relate to can gain them a higher chance of being able to
comprehend more, hence, allowing them to do more than they are
expected of.
1. “Learning to read is to see.”
A child first learns to “read” when they are born; they
read their parents’ expressions first, then they start meeting their
siblings, relatives, new people, and they read their faces. The next
stage in a child’s reading timeline is when they start “reading” the
objects and environment around them. They start to observe,
remember, recognize, and identify them. Which leads them to the next
stage, where they are then presented books heavily illustrated. They
are then encouraged to be able to familiarize and identify images and
representations of objects in the book that they have already seen
somewhere. Around their sixth month, the infant acquires a skill wherein
they can differentiate an image of an object from the actual thing. They
start to learn symbolic representation, where the child first develops
their skills in picture reading.
He or she will then start scanning the pages, looking for and at images
and objects that interest them. They point at some and name them, but
are mostly gibberish to adults, since they have yet to develop speech
and language skills. The child will then be able to follow through the
story of that object, and after a while, they will have understood the
difference of that object within the book’s pages from the real thing in
front of his eyes.
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Based on the pictures in the book, the child develops his
visual reading skills. The simple texts that come with the images will
help him or her slowly get a grasp on the pictures’ grammar and context,
thus preparing him for reading longer texts. They start to understand
that the images correspond to the text on the page, and they will start
from letter to letter, then they will start learning words, and start building
them into phrases, then sentences, and lastly, they will have learnt how
to read, and get the context from paragraphs, to chapters, and then the
entire book itself.
To be able to reach the end goal, the child must be presented series of
pictures and be exposed to many picture books; an adult beside them
to guide them with every turn of the page will read to them and help
them interpret the text to their own understanding.
Even as they start attending school, children must still be exposed to
picture books so they can develop the ability to imagine the images in
their mind, even without the actual object with him now.
According to Tesseron, a French physicist, the child will place himself
in the character’s shoes, and let the pictures indulge him, making him
seem like he is part of the story. After more reading experiences, the
child will have learnt how to distance himself from the story, maybe
detach himself that he does not lose his sense of reality. They will have
then learned how to control the images they see.
2. “Learning to read is also learning to listen.”
During the child’s first months since he was born, he
listens to his mother and his father’s voices, those that care for him and
console him when he is irritated, or even hungry. From these voices,
the child will learn to build his own voice and create his personal
language, which is commonly known as “baby talk” to adults; he will
also learn to identify people through their voices.
To get the child to sleep, parents would usually sing to their
babies or read to them. The child discovers a different voice from the
usual speaking voice he’s come accustomed to. He will then start to
relate the singing, melodious and sometimes poetic voice as to a voice
from a certain person that tells of stories and songs that the baby can
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enjoy. This way is how a child is introduced to literature even in the early
stages of his life, and prepares his sensibility for the artistic forms,
starting from the simplest, most archaic ones.
Von Stockar says that singing to a baby is important, as well as telling
him stories, even if it is just of their daily lives, or a made up one. As
stated in Von Stockar’s entry, moments like these when a parent is
telling the baby a story, or singing them a song, are very privileged and
intimate, also they are full of suspense and curiosity, mostly from the
child’s end, as he wonders what he may discover, as even he starts to
learn how to read and write, he has already been exposed to literature.
Tesseron, again teaches that “a child who listens to stories when he is
a baby lives within the stories, like they were part of him”.
3.
“Learning
to
read
is
also
learning
to
communicate.”
The early reading experiences of a child are central and
are not possible without an adult who prepares them and directs them,
starting from listening to stories, looking at, and interpreting pictures in
books.
When the child and adult look together at a picture book, their views
and perception almost automatically converge toward the same image,
the book, and its story. It is a joint regard that creates, for the first time,
the triangular space among the child, the adult, and the book, and is the
origin of every cultural transmission: the adult takes the child into a
cultural creation, which is at the occasion the picture book, that is an
important model of all other cultural supports.
At the same time, this scenario, a shared reading of a
picture book, marks another vital moment in the biography of childhood
reading. Every child loves to point with his finger at the visual elements:
the objects on the pictures of the book and claiming proudly to the adult
what the object is. This action is not only remarkable from the point of
view of reading skills, but also and most importantly from the standpoint
of the child’s psychological development. Because by showing
something to someone, the child demonstrates to the adult his
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perception and his subjective impression of what he is seeing. It is a
spontaneous action that always assumes that the child already has an
idea of the other’s existence, whom he is showing his wish to
communicate actively with.
In situation of such an interaction, it is very important that the
adult sees and considers what the child is showing him, and that he
reacts to this formidable impulse with excitement. This demands and
attentive presence, a great sensibility, and a considerable availability
from the adult; because if the adult does not react to what the child is
showing him, the child will lose the initiative of showing, and moreover,
his trust in the companion/adult, and his ability to communicate.
By pointing with his finger at what piques his interest, the
child is showing his intersubjectivity. Later, the child will not be happy
with just pointing with his finger; he will talk with pleasure about what he
sees and what he thinks of the story. The adult must continue to listen
to him, respectfully and with as much interest as the child in the topic,
patiently stimulating this interaction, which is important for true literacy.
From this perspective, the child who has the possibility of discovering
in this active way various several picture books, in an animated manner
of dialogue with an adult, but will read stories on his peers that share
the reading session.
Later at a school age, when he looks less frequently at picture books in
the company of adults, the child will continue to depend on
communication about what he has read. Because of this, the adults
must be as available as before, but they have to continue being
interested in what the children are reading, as well as they have to
encourage them to talk, express and exchange their ideas in an open
discussion with their peers, without any school evaluation, so the child
will understand that reading, in a definitive way, is also a matter of
communicating, therefore, as social issue. It is only during the ongoing
interactive readings that the child can not only fully develop his
language competency, expand his vocabulary, and his ways of
expressing himself, but also his social competency in the larger sense
of the term.
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4. “The book is finally an object”
The book, which is an ideal support for initiating and
learning to read, is a physical object that the child must domesticate. By
manipulating it, the child slowly takes possession of his book. later, he
will learn, although rather in a playful manner, to use it correctly: how to
turn its pages with utmost care, how to hold it the right way, the proper
posture when reading, etc. This way, he finally learns to behave like a
reader, which is an important step on the road to literacy. To be
successful, he must have models, who are in this case, the adults and
the bigger children who read.
Children are also exposed to different cultures with how they read a
book, since there are texts that are arranged and input differently, for
example, comic books and manga that are read from left to right, and
vice versa. There are also materials that are written from top to bottom.
Discovering these various layouts can help the reader to familiarize with
cultures different from his own.
A picture book plays a vital role as one that becomes the
child’s transitional object between the child’s personal feelings and
sensibility and the actual reality, where a child can develop his
imagination and his own feelings that separate him from his parents, so
he may grow and live, and thus come to experience such conflicts,
which he shall resolve, and then he will find his own identity.
From this psychological view, the child uses the book as a screen where
he can project his own experiences (Crippen, 2012). The pictures and
the words of the story may act as a mirror of children’s own conflicts
and fears, -loneliness and jealousy, aggressiveness and the longing to
be loved and accepted- all are reflected while offering the child, albeit
fictional, alternatives and solutions that he might not be able to find in
such other outlets. This way, the child can play with the fictional
possibilities and be able to come up with his own, if not so soon.
5. “How does reading become a pertinent personal
experience?”
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Based on the statements, it is seen that learning to read
is more than just learning the alphabet and decoding the words they
form. True literacy depends on some skills that are often neglected in
school scenarios:
a. the ability to read and understand pictures and symbols,
b. to listen and integrate stories told out loud,
c. to know how to communicate with others regarding what has
been read, and
d. to familiarize with the book as a cultural object.
Developing these complex skills and interdependences must continue
throughout childhood and puberty, at home and school (Crippen, 2012).
Although the question ‘What to do so that the child can discover the
pleasure of reading, its usefulness and its value in his own life?’ arises,
reading contributes in a concrete way to the sense of our lives if it is
blessed with meaning. We must teach children not only to read, but also
to acknowledge the importance and actually knowing the context of
their own understanding, teach them to grasp the true meaning of what
was written, and the role it can play in their personal lives, and in the
society, they live in.
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