The production and use of wordlesspicture books in parent-child reading :an exploratory study within aSouth African context

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This thesis is an exploratory study into the feasibility of the use of wordless picture books with the aim to develop a culture of and love for reading within the South African context, as approached from my viewpoint as an illustrator. Despite a growing body of literature that advocates the use of wordless picture books in educational and literacy development, not much research exists on their use within the South African context exists. Additionally, there are few locally published wordless picture books available in South Africa, with the market being dominated by American and European imports. Those that do exist locally lack variety and are largely labelled as educational. In addition, South Africa has a very low general reading rate, with reading and books being viewed as synonymous with an academic activity or obligation. Further, children are not encouraged to read for enjoyment at home, as their parents often do not have a reading culture of their own. Although educational books can be used in the home for joint reading, the use of books that are created for 'strictly educational purposes' leads to a risk of losing the magic of reading purely for enjoyment. A risk that runs parallel with this is the perpetuation of this negative view of reading in general. The inherent characteristics of wordless picture books serve as motivating factors that could contribute to developing a more positive attitude to books in general, and as such, foster a culture of reading that parents can transfer to their children. Through a semiotic and narratological analysis of wordless picture books, as well as a conceptualisation of the medium in my practical work, I debate the strengths of the medium as applied to the South African context. An empirical study forms part of this research in an effort to understand better how these books would function in joint reading between a child and their parent or primary caregiver. My fundamental argument is that the creation, production and use of this genre of picture books should be considered more favourably, and warrant further investigation within the South African context.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University