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The Puppets Communicative Potential as a Mediating Tool in Preschool Education

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Abstract

This article describes a puppet as a mediating tool in early childhood education and the puppets communicative properties, potential and use in preschool. In the empirical section, the puppet consists and functions as a starting point for children’s interaction, narratives and different ways of communication. The research interest is directed towards the content of communicative processes where the puppet is present between the teacher and the children, towards children’s ways of expressing the meaning of the puppet, and towards the motives that are generated in the interaction between the puppet and the children in different activities. The overall aim is to generate knowledge of the puppet’s relational, linguistic and action-related potential as a mediating tool for children’s communication and learning in preschool.

Résumé

Cet article décrit les marionnettes comme instrument de médiation en éducation infantile, de même que les propriétés, le potentiel et les utilisations des marionnettes pour la communication à l’école maternelle. La section empirique de l’article décrit en quoi consistent les marionnettes et comment elles fonctionnent comme point de départ de l’interaction, du récit et de divers moyens de communication des enfants. La recherche s’intéresse au contenu des processus de communication entre l’enseignant et les enfants, en présence de la marionnette, à la manière dont les enfants expriment le sens de la marionnette ainsi qu’aux motifs générés dans l’interaction entre la marionnette et les enfants dans différentes activités. Le but général est de développer les connaissances sur le potentiel des marionnettes aux plans relationnel, linguistique et relatif à l’action, comme outil de médiation pour la communication et l’apprentissage des enfants à la maternelle.

Resumen

Este artículo describe cómo se pueden utilizar los títeres como instrumento de mediación en la educación infantil. Se comentan las capacidades comunicativas de estos títeres, su potencial y su utilización en el nivel preescolar. En la parte empírica del artículo, se comenta cómo el títere puede ser el punto de partida para la interacción entre los niños, para generar relatos y para diferentes tipos de comunicación. Se enfoca el contenido de la comunicación entre el profesor y los niños, la manera en la que los niños expresan lo que significa el títere y los motivos que los niños adscriben a éste. El propósito del artículo es generar un conocimiento sobre cómo los títeres pueden servir al desarrollo relacional, lingüístico y de actuación de los niños y niñas.

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Correspondence to Mirella Forsberg Ahlcrona.

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Ahlcrona, M.F. The Puppets Communicative Potential as a Mediating Tool in Preschool Education. IJEC 44, 171–184 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-012-0060-3

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