ERIC Number: EJ1065804
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0256-8543
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Preschoolers' Causal Reasoning during Shared Picture Book Storytelling: A Cross-Case Comparison Descriptive Study
Reed, Helen C.; Hurks, Petra P. M.; Kirschner, Paul A.; Jolles, Jelle
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v29 n3 p367-389 2015
This study investigates how shared picture book storytelling within a peer-group setting could stimulate causal reasoning in children aged 4½ to 6 years. Twenty-eight children from preschool classes of three schools were allocated to one of six groups (four to five children per group). Each group participated in six storytelling sessions over a period of 2 weeks. During these sessions, the children freely generated stories from stimuli in two picture books. Storytelling discourse was analyzed in the groups that showed the lowest and the highest pre- to postintervention improvement on a series of causal reasoning tasks. In the most-improving group, discourse was distinguished by detailed interpretations of perceptual features, causal explanations, and explicit justifications of statements. The least-improving group was distinguished by "superficial" talk (i.e., labeling perceptual features, simple inferences, uncritical acceptance of statements, and disagreements). These types of discourse could be related to time spent on storytelling. The findings generate hypotheses for future research on stimulating causal reasoning in early childhood education.
Descriptors: Preschool Children, Picture Books, Story Telling, Comparative Analysis, Peer Relationship, Thinking Skills, Logical Thinking, Preschool Education, Pictorial Stimuli, Pretests Posttests, Group Activities, Group Discussion, Foreign Countries, Interaction, Student Characteristics, Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Development, Intervention
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A