Opportunities and challenges in the analysis of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN)

The development of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) has no doubt contributed to prompting a renewed interest in children’s narratives. This carefully controlled test of narrative abilities elicits a rich set of measures spanning multiple linguistic domains and their interaction, including lexis, morphosyntax, discourse-pragmatics, as well as various aspects of narrative structure, communicative competence, and language use (such as code-switching). It is particularly well suited to the study of discourse cohesion, referential adequacy and informativeness, and of course to the study of narrative structure and richness, and the acquisition of a more formal or literary register. In this commentary article, I reflect on the five empirical papers included in the special issue. I focus on methodological challenges for the analysis of narratives and identify outstanding questions.

Narrative as a method of studying the speech characteristics of bilingual children (On the example of Georgian bilingual and Greek monolingual juniors)

The present article: ″Narrative as a method of studying the speech characteristics of bilingual children (On the example of Georgian bilingual and Greek monolingual juniors)″ aims to study the nature of narrative and to establish narrative skills in school; also the purpose of the study is to define the importance of narrative as an effective method of research. The first part of the paper presents a brief overview of the theoretical material around the narrative. The second part of the article is based on empirical material. In particular, it is based on the analysis and results of my research which I have conducted at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). The article presents a study of children's narratives and a comparison of narratives during bilingualism; In particular, the use of narrative-based research method in the case of Georgian bilinguals and Greek monolinguals, the use of which is quite common in the modern field of psycholinguistics.

Emotion Valence for Social Communication During Story Retells

Purpose: Children's narratives may differ based on whether they are describing events that elicit positive versus negative emotions and may be more detailed when talking about negative emotions. Understanding how children retell stories representing varied emotions may guide educators in providing opportunities for children to develop social communication. This study examined retells of stories depicting positive versus negative emotions and responses to follow-up questions relating to facets of social communication. Method: Video stories depicting positive versus negative emotions were presented to 22 preschool children (ages 4;1–5;3 [years;months]). Macrostructure in the retells (measured by the Index of Narrative Complexity) and talk about emotions (measured by number and variety of emotion words) and action/attempts (rated by a rubric for quality of response) were analyzed. Results: The only significant result was the difference between the number of times the macro element, complication, was included in retells, with a greater number in the negative condition. Conclusion: The consistent quality of retells across emotion valence suggests that positive and negative emotions may both be used in fictional stories depicting social scenarios to develop opportunities to assess and talk about facets of social communication.

Ocupações tradicionais e infâncias de terreiro: experiências de vida e cuidado em religiões de matriz africana/Traditional occupations and childhoods in the terreiro: life experiences and care in African-based religions

Introdução: Há distintas perspectivas sobre a infância. Assim, é necessário alargar os conhecimentos em Terapia Ocupacional a respeito dos cotidianos de crianças (Erês), sobretudo as de terreiro, que imprimem formas de envolvimento sagrado, baseado nas ocupações tradicionais, onde o dentro e o fora do terreiro possuem limites muito tênues. Objetivo: Compreender o envolvimento em ocupações tradicionais e os sentidos e implicações que estas exercem na vida cotidiana mais ampla de crianças de terreiro. Método: Foram conduzidas atividades dialogadas, durante o desenvolvimento de uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória em Terapia Ocupacional, com abordagem da pesquisa-participante, junto a sete crianças de um terreiro de candomblé na cidade de São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre outubro e novembro de 2016. Resultados: Foram produzidas atividades dialogadas, que facilitaram a produção de narrativas das crianças, sobre o cotidiano de terreiro. Um mural serviu de síntese das narrativas e identificação de quatro temas, que oportunizaram a discussão sobre ocupações tradicionais na infância, a saber: 1) Minha vida no terreiro; 2) Ser criança no terreiro; 3) Ser criança de terreiro fora do terreiro; e 4) O projeto Erê Yá L’omi. Discussão: Os temas destacam os sentidos de pertencimento, a construção identitária e as formas de lidar com as violências da intolerância religiosa na vida social mais ampla. Considerações finais: A tradição e a ancestralidade constituem elementos fundamentais do envolvimento ocupacional de crianças e jovens de terreiro. Este envolvimento se refere a uma tessitura intergeracional, pois estão intimamente coligadas à (re)existência e às funções e aprendizagens no terreiro.Palavras-chave: Ocupações tradicionais. Infância. Povos de terreiro. Comunidades. Terapia Ocupacional.Abstract Introduction: There are different perspectives on childhood. Thus, it is necessary to expand the knowledge in Occupational Therapy regarding the daily lives of children (Erês), especially those in the terreiro, which print forms of sacred involvement, based on traditional occupations, where the inside and outside of the terreiro have very tenuous limits. Aim: To understand the involvement in traditional occupations and the meanings and implications that these have in the wider daily life of children in the terreiro. Method: Dialogue activities were conducted during the development of a qualitative and exploratory research in Occupational Therapy, with a participant-research approach, with seven children from a candomblé terreiro in the city of São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between October and November 2016. Results: Graphic activities were produced that composed the children's narratives about the daily life of the terreiro. A mural served as a synthesis of the narratives and identification of four themes that made it possible to discuss traditional occupations in childhood, namely: 1) My life in the terreiro; 2) Being a child in the terreiro; 3) Being a child in a terreiro outside the terreiro; and 4) The Erê Yá L’omi project. Discussion: The themes highlight the senses of belonging, the identity construction and the ways of dealing with the violence of religious intolerance in the broader social life. Final considerations: Tradition and ancestry are fundamental elements of the occupational involvement of children and young people from the terreiro. This involvement refers to an intergenerational fabric, as they are closely linked to (re) existence and to the functions and learning in the terreiro.Keywords: Traditional occupations. Childhood. Terreiro’s folk. Communities. Occupational Therapy.ResumenIntroducción: Existen diferentes perspectivas sobre la infancia. Así, es necesario ampliar los conocimientos en Terapia Ocupacional sobre la vida cotidiana de los niños (Erês), especialmente los del terreiro, que imprimen formas de implicación sagrada, basadas en ocupaciones tradicionales, donde el interior y el exterior del terreiro tienen muchos límites tenues. Objetivo: Comprender la participación en las ocupaciones tradicionales y los significados e implicaciones que estas tienen en la vida cotidiana más amplia de los niños del terreiro. Método: Las actividades de diálogo se realizaron durante el desarrollo de una investigación cualitativa y exploratoria en Terapia Ocupacional, con un enfoque de investigación participante, con siete niños de un terreiro de candomblé en la ciudad de São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre octubre y noviembre 2016. Resultados: Se produjeron actividades gráficas que componían las narrativas infantiles sobre la vida cotidiana del terreiro. Un mural sirvió como síntesis de las narrativas e identificación de cuatro temas que permitieron discutir ocupaciones tradicionales en la infancia, a saber: 1) Mi vida en el terreiro; 2) Ser un niño en el terreiro; 3) Ser niño en un terreiro fuera del terreiro; y 4) El proyecto Erê Yá L’omi. Discusión: Los temas destacan los sentidos de pertenencia, la construcción de la identidad y las formas de abordar la violencia de la intolerancia religiosa en la vida social más amplia. Consideraciones finales: La tradición y la ascendencia son elementos fundamentales de la participación ocupacional de los niños y jóvenes del terreiro. Esta implicación se refiere a un tejido intergeneracional, ya que están estrechamente vinculados a la (re)existencia ya las funciones y aprendizajes en el terreiro.Palabras clave: Ocupaciones tradicionales. Infancia. Pueblos de terreiro. Comunidades. Terapia ocupacional.

Caucasian child in the image of A.V. Druzhinin (based on the story “Madmoiselle Jeannette”)

Within the framework of the emerging interdisciplinary scientific direction “conflictology”, the authors of the article consider the culture-forming and peacemaking potential of the image of a “child” based on the story of the Russian writer of the 19th century A.V. Druzhinin “Madmoiselle Jeannette”. As a prerequisite for the study, a brief overview of children’s narratives in world literature is given. The figurative field of the “Caucasian child”, taking into account the historical context, is made up of the following cultural and semantic components: “the child is a pacifist in its highest incarnation”, “the child is a symbol of a qualitatively new direction in life, not burdened by military conflicts”, “the child is an ideal and interethnic communication”.

Wedges: Stories as Simple Machines

This piece of comics-based research (CBR) details the use of arts-based methods in ongoing research with young transgender or otherwise gender diverse children. Drawing from both the anthropology of childhood and draw–write–tell research in public health, the central innovation of this methodology hinges on gathering children’s narratives in a less coercive manner that holds their stories intact and produces better, more trustworthy research. Discussion includes problematizing and problem-solving contemporary “child friendly” methodology, exploring the role of the child informant in qualitative research, and illustrating how arts methods can inform deeper understanding of participant data when applied in a systematic format.

Children’s narratives on migrant refugees: a practice of global citizenship

Globalisation has brought about great social and economic impact, as well as great challenges. Major developments have taken place in the mobility of capital and, to a lesser extent, of goods; not so in the mobility of people seeking asylum due to persecution and war. This article approaches the phenomenon of migration, particularly of refugees, as learning content for early childhood. The research is presented from a qualitative approach based on the results of a project on this topic implemented in a rural school in Spain. The results of the data analysis reveal that children attribute external reasons, of survival, to the refugees’ forced departure from their country of origin. The children’s imaginary reproduces the social construction of adults on the status and situation of refugees, and they also show a critical attitude towards the violation of human rights and the abuse of fellow children. Finally, respect, cultural empathy and social commitment in the face of injustice are presented as fundamental values for education in global citizenship from the earliest stages of schooling.

“Want to hear my story?” Developing Latino children’s written narratives through culturally relevant family photographs

Research supports the importance of developing early literacy skills through culturally relevant activities and school/home partnerships as essential ingredients in high quality early learning environments (Bentley & Souto-Manning, 2019; Gay, 2000). Educators, however, frequently dismiss the significance of honoring a child’s first language, family, and culture when developing early literacy skills (Purcell-Gates, Melzi, Najafi, & Orellana, 2011). Integrating children’s linguistic and cultural understandings, however, is valuable and meaningful for their academic success and overall development (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore children’s narratives as a culturally relevant practice that promotes early writing. Using student data from a prekindergarten dual language classroom, we found that using family pictures from home provided multiple iterations of children’s stories and demonstrated how Latino families’ cultural experiences are significant for the development of children’s emergent writing development. Implications for practice are discussed.

Narratives and the semiotic freedom of children

Both adults’ habits-of-thought and their understanding of children’s stories shape how adults interpret children’s participation in conversations. In the light of the requests on children’s rights that follow from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) this paper stresses the relevance of authorities having semiotically informed knowledge on children’s meaning-making within conversations with adults. In Article 12, the CRC stipulates the right of children to participate in and to be heard about decisions that affect their everyday lives. According to the same Article, however, these rights can be restrained, based on the authority’s judgements of the child’s age and maturity. Sociological studies have highlighted the importance of adopting the child’s perspective in judging matters that concern her. The present paper further suggests that narrow conceptualization of the sign can help one to observe different levels of meaning in adults’ and children’s conversations better. Although Paul Ricoeur did not investigate children’s narratives per se, his theory of narratives and narrativity offers a phenomenological approach to development that allows for better theoretical discriminations of narrative as a semiotic resource, and can thus assist adults in truly listening to children.