Purpose
The study investigates how children express different ways of experiencing the phenomenon of shadow after books are read aloud to them that deal with shadow in different ways. The research question is: How do children experience shadow when discussing picture books that are about shadow?
Result
The analyses of the children’s conversations about the picture books show that they experience shadow as a phenomenon that is visible together with light, and as something that is projected onto a surface, and as concrete as tangible objects. They say that shadow is influenced by someone or something and describe it as an independent actor with invisible characteristics. The children often express their experiences of shadow related to how they experience the phenomenon in everyday life, and rarely as something fictional and aesthetic.
Design
The data material consists of video observations of reading aloud from five Swedish children’s books where the topic of shadow was highlighted in different ways. The observations took place over a period of one month in 2016 and involved one kindergarten teacher and five five-year-olds (two girls and three boys).
References
Backman, A. (2020). “Shadow in children’s picturebooks: highlighting children’s perspectives”. International Journal of Early Years Education.