Here is my essay plan which outlines all the main avenues of investigation l intend to take. This will certainly help me to clarify my direction and train of thought once l begin the writing.
ABSTRACT (100 words)
Write a brief overview of the essay
theme; including background, [could include here ‘objectives’] methods, results
and conclusions [could also include here ‘limitations’]
CONTENTS
A Contents page will be included
(Check all page numbers are accurate)
INTRODUCTION (2oo words approx)
The modern picturebook is defined
by Salisbury and Styles (2012) “…by its particular use of sequential imagery,
usually in tandem with a small number of words, to convey meaning.” However
many picturebooks contain no text within the story and so are therefore
‘wordless’. This essay will examine pictures
in picturebooks and investigate their impact upon and relevance to emotional
and educational development in readers.
The focus of the essay will be primarily centred around wordless
picturebooks with some investigation into examples which tackle themes such as
grief, immigration and bullying and are thus defined as being “controversial”
or “challenging”. Thorough analysis will
be made of evidence available by looking at numerous reports published by
experts in the field, as well as by considering primary source examples of
picturebooks as supporting evidence. A
variety of theories will be employed to study the relevant angles of approach,
including Semiotics, Redundancy and Entropy and Iconography and Iconology; with
concepts such as culture, class, gender and language being important
considerations throughout evidence analysis.
These concepts undoubtedly contribute to reader understanding of images,
and this essay will consider these carefully and comprehensively before drawing
any conclusions as to their value. The
aim is to show that, by studying available research and evidence how [wordless]
picturebooks contribute to educational and emotional development before finally
conclusively advocating their value as a learning resource tool.
MAIN BODY (Five sections)
The essay will present the argument
by dividing the essay into sections (see bullet points above) and give prime
importance to critical evaluation and analysis using the theories and concepts
identified, while also connecting the findings to my own practice. Illustrations will be also included to
enhance my argument and to provide visual understanding of points made.
·
Picturebooks and wordless picturebooks: A Brief history and
background (350 words)
Look at
social change, audience, history. Look
at examples of early illustration such as Trajan’s Column and Bayeux Tapestry,
then early books such as chap books, invention of printing, Caldecott’s early
picturebooks up to the modern day.
Reference examples:
Salisbury, M., Styles, M., 2012, Children’s
Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling.
London: Lawrence King Publishing.
Briggs,
R., 2013, The
Snowman, London: Puffin Books
·
How do pictures work and how do children learn to ‘read’ them? (1,000 words)
Look at theories such as redundancy
and entropy, semiotics, stereotypes, binary opposites, denotation and
connotation. Consider concepts such as
theories and ideas and the mind. Reference
examples:
Doonan, J., 1993, Looking at Pictures in Picture Books. Glos: Thimble Press.
Evans, J., 1998, What’s in the Picture? Responding to Illustrations in Picturebooks. London: SAGE.
Cole,
H., 2012, Unspoken:
A Story from the Underground Railroad, NY: Scholastic Press.
Frazee,
M., 2014, The
farmer and the Clown, NY:
Beach Lane Books.
Examine the factors
which enable children to understand images, looking at concepts such as
education and the mind, as well as theories such as interpellation, iconography
and iconology, psychological and psychological.
Reference examples:
Evans, J., 1998, What’s in the Picture? Responding to Illustrations in Picturebooks. London: SAGE.
Graham, J., 1990, Pictures on the Page.
Sheffield: NATE.
·
Do pictures in picturebooks help to develop emergent reading
skills and how do they aid the
development of visual literacy and social imagination? (1350 words)
Looking at the concept of education
and using theories of the mind, education and society, Berger’s Ways of Seeing,
iconology and iconography, interpellation and psychological and
psycho-analytical look at the studies undertaken by experts in the field. Reference examples:
Lysaker, J., Hopper, G., 2015, A Kindergartner's
Emergent Strategy Use during Wordless Picture Book Reading [online]. The
Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, pages 649–657.
Explain how they encourage
sequential thinking, keen observation, storytelling, discussion and de-coding,
looking at theories mentioned in previous section. Reference examples:
Galda, L., & Short, K., 1993, Visual Literacy: Exploring Art and Illustration
in Children’s Books [online]. The Reading Teacher, March 1993, Vol: 46,
Issue 6, pp 506-516.
Engaging
social imagination: The developmental work of wordless book reading [online].
Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, June 2013 vol. 13 no. 2 147-174.
Salisbury, M., Styles, M., 2012, Children’s Picturebooks:
The Art of Visual Storytelling. London:
Lawrence King Publishing.
Serafini,
F., 2014, Exploring Wordless Picture Books [online]. The Reading
Teacher, Vol: 68, Issue 1, September 2014, pp. 24-26.
·
Who
benefits from wordless picturebooks? (crossing boundaries) (1000
words)
Explain that wordless picturebooks
cross cultural, linguistic, generational and gender boundaries. Look at concepts such as language, gender,
religion, culture, class, generational, and theories such as sociological, Marxism
and multi-cultural. How these books can
aid such a broad range of people in their educational and emotional
development. Reference examples:
, 2013, Meaning-making from wordless (or
nearly wordless) picturebooks: what educational research expects and what
readers have to say [online]. Cambridge Journal of Education, 43
(2).
Colledge, M., 2005, Baby
Bear or Mrs Bear? Young English Bengali-speaking children's responses to
narrative picture books at school [online]. Literacy, Volume 39, Issue
1, pages 24–30.
Louie, B., & Siershinski, J., 2015, Enhancing English Learners' Language Development Using Wordless Picture
Books [online]. The Reading Teacher, Vol: 69, issue 1, July /
August 2015, pp 103-111.
·
How do picturebooks deal with emotional issues and
challenges? (1,700 words)
Examine examples of pictures in
picturebooks which address emotional challenges and how they can aid emotional
development in readers. Explain how do
they create empathic responses and develop emotional literacy.
Examples can include:
Lawson, J, Smith, S., 2016, 'Footpath Flowers', London: Walker
Books
Tan, S., 2014, 'The Arrival', Sydney: Lothian
Books
Villa, A, 2013, 'Flood', London: Curious Fox
Other reference examples:
Graham, J., 1990, Pictures on the Page.
Sheffield: NATE.
Engaging
social imagination: The developmental work of wordless book reading [online].
Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, June 2013 vol. 13 no. 2 147-174.
Nikolajeva, M., 2013, Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy [online].The Reading
Teacher, Vol: 67, Issue 4, December 2013 / January 2014, pp. 249-254.
Salisbury, M., Styles, M., 2012, Children’s
Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling.
London: Lawrence King Publishing.
Consider also what makes a
picturebook controversial or challenging and examine their place in educational
and emotional development. Refer to
‘cross-over’ books and examine the audience using concepts such as
generational, culture and politics. Theories
can include ideological inference and hegemony.
Refer to examples which fit in this
genre such as:
Elliot, Z., & Strickland, S., 2008, Bird. New York: Lee and Low
Books Inc.
Tan, S., 2014, 'The Arrival', Sydney: Lothian
Books
Grimm, J., & Janssen, S., 2008, Hansel und
Gretel. Belgium: Hinstorff.
Continuing with the controversial
and challenging theme, refer to examples of these books, as seen above and use
following references which examine this genre:
Evans, J., 2015, Challenging and Controversial Picturebooks: Creative and Critical
Responses to Visual Texts.
Oxon: Routledge
CONCLUSION (300 words)
How do all the points raised show
that pictures in picturebooks, and particularly wordless picturebooks affect
emotional and educational development?: include their effect upon social
imagination, crossing boundaries (cultural, generational, linguistic etc),
empathy skills, creativity etc.
Here a summary of the main points
and a review of the arguments will be presented and explanation of how l have
tackled answering the essay title. It
will ensure that all claims made in the introduction have been investigated and
completed and will also relate to how the study will impact upon my own work by
outlining what l have learned.
TOTAL: 6,000 WORDS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harvard style bibliography which
can be split into sections showing web sources, books and journals, with a
separate section for list of illustrations. E.g.:
Books:
Salisbury, M., & Styles, M., (2012) Children’s Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling. London: Lawrence King Publishing (p.7).
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