ERIC Number: EJ1379030
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: EISSN-1476-8275
Available Date: N/A
The Representation of Mental States in Young Children's Writings: The Role of Early Narratives in Supporting Theory of Mind
Early Child Development and Care, v193 n1 p46-59 2023
Learning to write is a complex process involving linguistic, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors. From a developmental perspective, little research has explored the content of young children's writings in terms of specific cognitive skills such as Theory of Mind (TOM). This study explores how young children's writing may foster representations of inner life, their own and others, through the characters created and through an awareness of the reader's perspective. A total of 204 written compositions were gathered throughout one school year from 24 6-to-7-year-olds. The results indicate that while tackling the complexity of word and sentence composition, significant cognitive resources are allocated to the content of the stories, the characters' experiences but also the reader's understanding of the plots created. The findings offer important implications for supporting children's TOM through early fiction writing and highlight the importance of naturalistic data in uncovering young children's growing insights about others' thoughts and emotions.
Descriptors: Writing (Composition), Theory of Mind, Young Children, Cognitive Processes, Fiction, Story Telling, Grade 2, Elementary School Students, Foreign Countries, Writing Assignments, Emotional Response, Student Motivation, Physiology
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 2; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A