children's lit

Page 1: Introduction

• Course Title: Intro to Children's Literature

• Instructor: Dr. Kathryn Carter

• Contact: kcarter@wlu.ca

Page 2: Goals of the Course

• Quote from Sheila Egoff: Picture books create significant social and aesthetic tension.

• Focus on multimodality in children's literature, emphasizing the role of images alongside written text.

• Acknowledge the channels through which children engage with information in the 21st century (text, images, multimedia).

• Develop vocabulary and tools for evaluating and critiquing modes of representation in literature, with emphasis on printed books.

• By course end, articulate how images and text create complementary or contested meanings and interact to generate diverse interpretations.

Page 3: Understanding Children’s Literature

• Definition challenges: Suggests differentiation between good and bad books based on ambiguous standards.

• Aim: Introduce issues in the debate about children’s literature standards and foster informed participation.

• Key question: How do children derive meaning while reading picture books?

Page 4: Literary Genres in Children's Literature

• Familiar categories: fiction, poetry, nonfiction—ranging from memoirs to instruction manuals.

• Each genre has its own expectations and implications for understanding children's literature.

Page 6: Course Project

• Requirement: Create your own children's picture book, applying learned concepts on multimodality and representation.

Page 8: Narrative Element

• Introduction of character: Aleister, an owl enamored with shiny objects.

• Central theme: Aleister’s fascination with the Moon, highlighting the importance of this object in his life.

Page 9: Conflict in the Narrative

• Introduction of a problem: Aleister perceives something unusual occurring with the Moon as time passes, suggesting plot development and emotional stakes.

Page 11: Generative AI Guidelines

• Note on university policy: Use of generative AI tools requires PSIA approval; only Type 1 data permitted.

• Unique logins necessary; cannot use Laurier credentials.

Page 12: Understanding Modality

• Definition:

  1. Linguistic expression of relationships to reality or truth (LINGUISTICS).

  2. Channels of representational signs (oral, gesture, visual, written) (SEMIOTICS).

Page 13: Semiotic Modes Overview

• Representational: Creates a narrative through verbal and visual depiction of people and events.

• Interactive: Establishes relationships between narrative elements or between text and image.

• Compositional: Constructs meaning through the arrangement and significance of text and images.

Page 14: Semiotic Structures in Children’s Literature

• Representational structures: Aim to accurately depict story elements (icon).

• Interactive relationships: Imply connections between story elements (index).

• Compositional meaning: Expressed through the comparison of text to image (index).

Page 15: Symbolic Thinking in Children

• Example: Using a block of wood as a phone showcases symbolic play in children.

• Language as a symbolic system; connecting meanings is foundational for early literacy and numeracy.

Page 16: Mimesis vs. Symbol

• Mimesis: Accurate representation of reality by author/illustrator.

• Symbol: Use of alternate images/ideas to enrich meaning beyond mere imitation.

• Concept books: Designed for young children to illustrate symbolic thinking by linking ideas, words, and numbers to objects.

Page 18: Children Making Meaning

• Shift in children's literature over centuries: Empowering children to interpret and evaluate their readings.

• Reference to Alice in Wonderland: Highlighting philosophical explorations through narrative and visual logic, created by Lewis Carroll.

Page 19: Key Terms to Remember

• Didactic: Understanding the nature of learning—passive reception vs. active engagement.

• Semiotics: Study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior.

• Mimesis/Mimetic: Pertains to the representation of reality in art.

Page 20: Homework Assignment

• Experiment with various image generators (including provided links) to cultivate creativity and application of learned concepts in children's literature.

Page 21: Observations on Illustrations

• Note that most illustrations will exhibit characteristics of representational, interactive, and compositional semiotic modes.