Teaching Young Children Self-regulation through Children’s Books

Abstract

Today’s emphasis on using children’s literature as a tool to teach reading and writing sub-skills distracts teachers’ attention from looking to children’s books for their historical role in helping children navigate the intellectual, social, and emotional terrains of childhood. This article argues, first, that early childhood educators must remain fluent in the use of literature that supports young children’s psychosocial development. Second, teachers must establish criteria for choice. By way of example, it examines two popular books for young children, Sendak’s (1963) Where the Wild Things Are [New York: HarperCollins Publishers] and Shannon’s (1998) No, David! [New York: Blue Sky Press] Three theoretical perspectives guide the analysis. The first combines Dewey’s (1938/97) [Experience and education. New York:Touchstone] impetus for learning and Vygotsky’s (1978) [Mind in society. Cambridge: Harvard University Press] theory that learning precedes development through scaffolded social interaction. The second is Erikson’s (1950, 1985) [Childhood and society. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.] theory of psychosocial development in light of the 4–6-year-old’s drive towards self-regulation, control, and independence. The third is Rosenblatt’s (1978) [The reader, the text, the poem. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English] transactional nature of reading.