Exploring the Power and Processes of Friendship through Picturebooks

Autor/inn/en	Crawford, Patricia A.; Calabria, Kaybeth
Titel	Exploring the Power and Processes of Friendship through Picturebooks
Quelle	In: International Journal of the Whole Child, 3 (2018) 2, S.25-34 (10 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2474-297X
Schlagwörter	Friendship; Picture Books; Childrens Literature; Teaching Methods; Prosocial Behavior; Child Development; Social Development; Peer Relationship + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Freundschaft; Picture book; Bilderbuch; 'Children''s literature'; Kinderliteratur; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Kindesentwicklung; Soziale Entwicklung; Peer-Beziehungen
Abstract	In the daily news cycle, national and global debates constantly swirl around issues of justice, equity, and civility, with concerns raging about the core elements needed for individuals, communities, and nations to interact successfully. No doubt, children are impacted by the way these issues play out on the world stage. However, they also learn similar, more developmentally appropriate life lessons about key relationship values and what it means to engage fairly, successfully, and happily with others, through the power of personal friendships. Close, personal friendships evidence the potential to serve as both anchors and supportive scaffolds for the developing child; rooting children in the security of established, close relationships and giving them the confidence and assurance essential to engage in new ones. Thus, it is important that children have opportunities to learn about the meaning and power of friendship, and receive tangible support to develop the pro-social skills necessary to forge, navigate, and deepen these relationships.Children learn about friendship through many avenues, including observations of interpersonal interactions, their evolving participation in personal relationships, and the information about friendship that is presented through books and other media sources. High quality picturebooks provide an excellent source of accessible and developmentally appropriate information about the nature of friendship, revealed through informational tips, as well as through the stories of protagonists who grow through opportunities to alternatively embrace and struggle with different aspects of their personal relationships. In this article, the authors offer an overview of the role of friendship in the lives of children and consider ways in which children can develop the skills and habits of mind and heart needed to "initiate", "sustain", and "navigate challenging areas" within these types of relationships. Related touchstone texts are introduced in the discussion of each of these areas. Finally, they discuss pedagogical possibilities for effectively sharing friendship-based stories with young children. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Tennessee Association for Childhood Education International. Web site: https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01