The aim of this study is to discover to what extent and in what way Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) twenty-four character strengths are present in Winnie the Pooh storybooks, and how they are depicted. Character strengths are a well-known theory in positive psychology and the analysis of children’s literature is a respected genre. A qualitative examination of the text was conducted using content and thematic analyses to extract examples of the strengths. The exemplars were coded and recoded before being subjected to a peer and supervisor review. The excerpts indicated that all strengths are depicted in the text, but Pooh is the only character to exhibit them all. A discussion of the findings revealed that no single strength could be deemed more prominent as they are intrinsically interconnected. It is recommended that the findings be reworked into a training manual for guardians to foster character strengths in young children. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The purpose of this work is to investigate and shed light on how children’s literature is used in the after – school center, if there are any conversations with children’s literature as a starting point and if children’s literature and conversation from the books are used as tools to let students process issues concerning themselves, their lives and their thoughts. The servey was conducted in the form of a web-based questionnaire and the questionnaire responses were then analyzed from three different theoretical perspectives: a socio-cultural perspective, an environmental psychological perspective and Aidan Chamber’s model The Reading Circle. From the point of view of the socio-cultural perspective, communication and language are in focus and the interplay between the common thinking and the individual’s thinking is a prerequisite for development and learning. This perspective is set in relation to how conversation about read books can become tools for students’ development. The environmental psychological perspective in this work is about how noise affects students’ concentration and analytical ability, how the design of the room affects students’ views of both themselves and what the room should be used for and that the environment is also a matter of social impact. The reading circle offers a holistic perspective on the reading process, which is about choosing a book, reading the book, being able to reflect on and react to the book’s content, and then want to start over with the next book. Conclusions drawn from this study are that children’s literature is used in leisure centers to varying degrees, that the physical environment in the form of, for example, limited opportunities for quiet places affects the extent of student’s individual reading, and that books discussions and structured reflections based on children’s literature occur to a very limited extent. / Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka och belysa hur barnlitteratur används i fritidshemmet, om det förekommer några samtal med barnlitteraturen som utgångspunkt och om barnlitteratur och samtal utifrån böckerna används som verktyg för att låta eleverna bearbeta frågor som berör dem själva, deras liv och deras tankar. Undersökningen har genomförts i form av en webbaserad enkät och enkätsvaren har sedan analyserats utifrån tre olika teoretiska perspektiv: ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, ett miljöpsykologiskt perspektiv samt Aidan Chambers modell Läsandets cirkel. I det sociokulturella perspektivets utgångspunkt står kommunikation och språk i fokus och samspelet mellan det gemensamma tänkandet och den enskildes tänkande är en förutsättning för utveckling och lärande. Detta perspektiv sätts i relation till hur samtal omkring lästa böcker kan bli verktyg för elevernas utveckling. Det miljöpsykologiska perspektivet i detta arbete handlar om hur buller påverkar elevers koncentration och analysförmåga, hur rummets utformning påverkar elevernas syn på både sig själva och på vad rummet ska användas till samt att miljö även är en fråga om social påverkan. Läsandets cirkel erbjuder ett helhetsperspektiv på läsprocessen som handlar om att välja bok, att läsa boken, att få reflektera över och reagera på bokens innehåll, för att sedan vilja börja om med nästa bok. Slutsatser som dragits av denna undersökning är att barnlitteratur används i fritidshemmen i varierande grad, att den fysiska miljön i form av till exempel begränsade möjligheter till lugna platser påverkar omfattningen av elevers enskilda läsning, samt att boksamtal och strukturerade reflektionstillfällen utifrån barnlitteraturen förekommer i mycket begränsad omfattning.

Cette étude dresse le portrait des collections de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ dans les bibliothèques publiques québécoises afin de déterminer si la population est bien servie à cet égard, peu importe le lieu et la taille de la collectivité. Pour ce faire, nous avons adopté une approche qualitative et utilisé la méthode de l’évaluation par liste. Ainsi, les collections de 41 bibliothèques publiques municipales ont été examinées au moyen d’une liste de vérification de 38 titres de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ publiés de 2003 à 2018. Les données recueillies ont fait l’objet d’une analyse statistique surtout descriptive. À l’instar d’études antérieures sur les collections des bibliothèques canadiennes et américaines, la présente recherche a montré que le niveau de présence de la littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ varie considérablement selon les bibliothèques et que la taille des populations, l’importance des collections et le budget consacré aux livres ne suffisent pas à expliquer toutes les fluctuations. L’analyse des données a aussi permis de révéler que les romans à contenu LGBTQ destinés aux ados étaient beaucoup plus susceptibles de figurer dans les collections que les albums et les premiers romans destinés aux enfants. De plus, l’analyse a montré que le thème de l’homosexualité masculine était largement représenté dans les collections, tandis que celui de l’homoparentalité était considérablement sous-représenté. Pourtant, selon les données recueillies, les albums pour enfants sur le thème de l’homoparentalité sont justement le type de matériel qui était le plus emprunté dans les bibliothèques au moment de l’étude. Cette étude exploratoire ne permet pas de conclure avec certitude que les collections de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ dans les bibliothèques québécoises sont suffisantes et appropriées. Toutefois, la comparaison des résultats obtenus avec ceux d’autres recherches suggère que, dans l’ensemble, les bibliothèques québécoises font plutôt bien à cet égard. / The purpose of this study is to examine the stocks of young adult and children’s literature collections with LGBTQ content made available in Québec public libraries to determine whether the population is sufficiently provided for, regardless of the location and size of the city or town where they live. To carry out this research project, we used the checklist evaluation method. Collections from a sample of 41 municipal public libraries were thus examined, using a checklist of 38 young adult and children’s literature titles with LGBTQ content, published from 2003 to 2018. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis. As with previous studies of Canadian and American public library collections, this research has shown that the level of presence of young adult and children’s literature with LGBTQ content varies considerably in all libraries, and that the size of populations, the size of collections and the budgets for printed books can’t explain all the fluctuations. Data analysis also revealed that novels with LGBTQ content for teenagers were much more likely to be held in collections than early readers’ novels and children’s picture books. The results have also shown that male homosexuality as a theme is well represented in the collections, while same sex parenthood is significantly underrepresented. However, according to the data, the picture books for children on the topic of same-sex parenthood are exactly the type of material which was the most borrowed in the sampled libraries at the time of the study. This exploratory study alone does not entirely support the conclusion that collections of young adult and children’s literature with LGBTQ content in Québec public libraries are sufficient and appropriate. However, comparing results from this research to those from other researches suggests that, overall, Quebec libraries seem to be doing well in this regard.

The translation of names is a topic for discussion within many fields, no less so within translation studies. Furthermore, the translation of proper names in children’s literature is a topic with on-going changes. There is a divide between those who believe that the names should be translated into proper cultural equivalent and those who believe it is time to have faith in children being able to handle foreign names. That is what this study will focus on. Approx. 15 names from seven children’s books from 1865 to 2011 were studied to conclude that there seems to be a greater faith in children’s ability to handle foreign names. Three languages were compared English, Spanish, and Swedish with the majority of the 337 names studied being kept in their original format, with spelling intact. / Översättningen av namn är ett diskussionsämne inom många områden, inte minst inom översättningsstudier. Utöver detta är översättningen av egennamn inom barnlitteratur ett ämne som är under ständig förändring. Det finns en klyfta mellan de som menar att namn borde bli översatta till sin kulturella likvärdighet och de som menar att det är på tiden att lita på att barn kan hantera främmande namn. Det är denna diskussion som kommer vara fokus för denna uppsatsen. Ca. 15 namn från sju barnböcker från 1865 till 2011 studerades för att visa att det verkar finnas en större tilltro till barns förmåga att hantera främmande namn. Tre språk jämfördes, engelska, spanska och svenska. Var utav de 337 namnen som studerades var majoriteten oförändrade i översättningarna.

This assignment aims to explore and analyze the picture books I skogen by Eva Lindström, Furan by Lisen Adbåge, Om dagen tar slut by Lisa Hyder and Naturen by Emma AdBåge, through an ecocritical study of subjekt formations. The studying of children's literatre, in relatoin to both the anthropocene and environmenantal discourse, gives an insight into the way man and nature are narrated and how subject positions are challenged. When analyzing such subjects this essay uses The Nature in Culture Matrix, created by the research group Nature in Children's Literature and Culture. The main concepts presented throughout this text include anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, celebrated nature and problematasing nature. This thesis examines how modern picture books protest against the former independent, free and courageous child that was encouraged to put themselves before others. Such a chliche is evident when characters defy a common pattern of action and how anthropomorphizations of nature can highlight the ecocritical way of thinking. It is further evident that pictre books, through intrigue, problematize the human subject and draw parallels to everything that is living. To conclude, the results show that the child as a subject either is challenged or replaced by nature.

Au Québec, particulièrement à Montréal, un nombre important d’enfants bi/plurilingues de maternelle cinq ans sont directement intégrés en classe ordinaire. Pour ces enfants qui poursuivent le développement de leurs compétences langagières dans deux ou plusieurs langues simultanément, il est primordial d’adapter les pratiques enseignantes afin de tenir compte de leurs besoins. La lecture partagée (LP) d’albums de littérature de jeunesse est une activité largement reconnue pour favoriser le développement langagier oral et écrit (Cunningham et Zibulsky, 2011; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). Tout en favorisant le plaisir de la lecture (Dupin de St-André et al., 2015), cette activité permet d’amener progressivement l’enfant à établir des liens entre langage oral et écrit. Elle permet également de favoriser, entre autres, le développement des habiletés narratives (ex. : Pesco et Gagné, 2017; Roux-Baron, 2019), dimension discursive du développement langagier qui exerce une incidence sur l’apprentissage de l’écrit et, donc, la réussite scolaire. Dans la présente recherche doctorale, les paramètres d’une intervention de LP tenant compte des besoins des enfants bi/plurilingues en émergence pour favoriser le développement de leurs habiletés narratives ont été définis au moyen d’une recension des écrits. Ces paramètres ciblés ont été mis à l’essai dans le cadre d’une vaste recherche (Armand et al., 2017-2021) dans laquelle a eu lieu une intervention de LP au moyen de l’application Les Albums plurilingues ÉLODiL dans une perspective de collaboration école-famille. L’utilisation d’albums bi/plurilingues faisait partie des modalités identifiées pour favoriser, dans une optique inclusive (Cummins, 2021), le développement langagier d’enfants bi/plurilingues en émergence (Naqvi et al., 2012). Dans le cadre de cette recherche, notre contribution à l’intervention a consisté à concevoir et à mettre à l’essai des activités entourant la lecture des albums qui visaient spécifiquement le développement des habiletés narratives. Afin de documenter les effets de l’intervention sur l’évolution des habiletés narratives des enfants, nous avons recueilli, avant et après l’intervention, les productions d’un groupe d’enfants qui y a pris part (n=78) en recourant à deux types de tests standardisés. Les productions ont été comparées à celles d’enfants qui n’ont pas participé à l’intervention (n=35), mais dont les enseignant·es avaient reçu les mêmes albums en français et en version papier uniquement. Pour compléter le portrait, nous avons également recueilli le rappel du récit d’un des albums exploités dans le cadre de l’intervention auprès des enfants du groupe expérimental (n=70). L’analyse des résultats obtenus au moyen des outils standardisés révèle que l’intervention de LP au moyen d’albums plurilingues intégrant des activités en lien avec les habiletés narratives apporte une contribution positive à l’évolution de ces habiletés chez les enfants. Qui plus est, l’analyse qualitative des productions obtenues au moyen d’un outil conçu à partir d’un des albums de l’intervention, mise en relation avec la description présente dans les écrits scientifiques des habiletés narratives d’enfants monolingues du même groupe d’âge, tend à démontrer que les enfants bi/plurilingues en émergence, ici dans le contexte montréalais pluriethnique et plurilingue de notre étude, ne sont pas « en retard » par rapport aux enfants monolingues. / In Quebec, particularly in Montreal, a significant number of bi/plurilingual children in five-year-old kindergarten are directly integrated into regular classrooms (with or without French learning support services). For these emerging bi/plurilingual children who are continuing to develop their language skills in two or more languages simultaneously, it is essential to adapt educative practices to consider their needs, particularly with regard to language development, which is one of the areas of global development. Shared reading of children’s literature is one of the activities which is widely recognized by the scientific and practical community to promote oral and written language skills (Cunningham & Zibulsky, 2011; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; Turgeon, 2018). This significant activity promotes the pleasure of reading (Dupin de St-André et al., 2015) and allows children to gradually make connections between oral and written language. Among other things, shared reading and the interactions that surround it promote the development of narrative skills (e.g., Lever & Sénéchal, 2011; Nielsen & Friesen, 2012; Pesco & Gagné, 2017; Roux-Baron, 2019), a discursive dimension of language development that has an impact on literacy development and, by the same token, academic success. In this doctoral research, we identified through a literature review the parameters of a shared reading intervention that would consider emerging bi/plurilingual needs in order to foster the development of their narrative skills. These parameters were tested as part of a broader research (Armand et al. 2017-2021) in which a shared reading intervention took place using a web-based children’s literature application, Les Albums plurilingues ÉLODiL, through a school-family collaboration. The use of bi/plurilingual book was one of the modalities identified to promote, from an additive (Lambert, 1975) and inclusive (Cummins, 2021) point of view, the language development of emerging bi/plurilingual children (Naqvi et al., 2012). As part of this doctoral research, our contribution to the intervention consisted of designing and testing activities surrounding the shared reading of children’s book that were specifically aimed at the development of narrative skills. In order to document the effects of the intervention on the children’s narrative skill evolution, before and after it, we collected narratives from a group of children who took part in the intervention (n=78). To this aim, we used two standardized tests (a narrative production task from a sequence of illustrations and a story recall task). The productions were compared to those of children who did not participate in the intervention (n=35). In this control group, the teachers, who used children’s literature in their classroom, received the same children’s book, but in French and in paper version only. In order to complete the portrait, we also collected from the children in the experimental group (n=70) the recall of the story of one of the books used in the intervention. This allowed us to provide a qualitative overview of the narrative skills of children in a regular five-year-old kindergarten classroom in a plurilingual context. The analysis of the results obtained with the standardized tools reveals that the shared reading intervention, using plurilingual books and integrating the activities we implemented in relation to narrative skills, brings a positive contribution to the evolution of the narrative skills of the children who took part. Moreover, the qualitative analysis of the portrait of the children’s narrative skills, put in relation with the description of the narrative skills of “monolingual” children of the same age group presented in the scientific literature, tends to show that emerging bi/plurilingual children are not “lagging behind”.

L’approche au coeur de cette étude est une recherche-action qui a pour but de mettre à l’essai un réseau littéraire, à caractère interdisciplinaire, pour le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire et des concepts en arithmétique auprès des élèves de deuxième année du primaire. Cette recherche comporte trois objectifs spécifiques : 1) mettre à l’essai un réseau littéraire pour décrire et analyser les pratiques enseignantes 2) décrire et analyser le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire en arithmétique des élèves du premier cycle du primaire 3) mettre en relation les pratiques enseignantes et le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire en arithmétique des élèves. Pour y arriver, une enseignante de 2e année du primaire du centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys a participé à notre recherche en expérimentant le réseau littéraire proposé dans cette étude. Nous avons conduit trois séances d’entretien en tout avec l’enseignante avant, pendant et après l’expérimentation. Une analyse de contenu a été effectuée à partir des propos et des impressions de l’enseignante. Durant l’expérimentation, nous avons participé à trois séances d’observation dont l’analyse a été effectuée en nous basant sur le modèle multi-agenda. Finalement, quatre élèves ont participé à un entretien qui visait notamment à analyser et à décrire le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire en arithmétique et leurs résultats ont été analysés à l’aide d’une grille d’évaluation bâtie par nous. À la lumière des données, nous constatons l’importance de l’engagement professionnel et des pratiques expertes de l’enseignante pour favoriser le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire associé aux concepts en arithmétique chez les élèves. Concernant les apports du réseau littéraire, les albums jeunesse ont constitué une source de motivation, de participation et d’engagement pour les élèves. Ils ont aussi favorisé le réinvestissement du vocabulaire disciplinaire. Les limites de cette recherche se situent davantage au niveau de la longueur et du sens de certaines questions étant donné que certains élèves n’ont pas le français comme langue maternelle, ce qui pouvait avoir un impact sur le niveau de compréhension des questions en lien avec les oeuvres du réseau. / This research project fits according to an action research approach and aims at putting into practice a literacy network, being of interdisciplinary nature, for the reinvestment of disciplinary vocabulary in arithmetic with second grade students. This present research has the following three specific objectives: 1) to put into practice a literacy network to analyze and describe the teacher’s practices 2) to analyze and describe the second-grade student’s reinvestment of disciplinary vocabulary in arithmetic 3) to put into relation the impact of teacher practices in the reinvestment of the student’s disciplinary vocabulary in arithmetic. In order to succeed, a second-grade elementary teacher from the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys participated in our research project by experimenting the literacy network proposed in this study. During the experimentation, we participated in three sessions of observation in which the analysis was performed according to the multi-agenda model. In addition, we conducted three semi-structured interview sessions before, during and after the experimentation. A content analysis was carried out based on the teacher’s comments and impressions. Lastly, four students participated in our interview questionnaire and their results were analyzed by an evaluation grid that we have built. At the light of the results and of our analysis, we notice the importance of professional engagement and the second-grade teacher’s expert practices pertaining to the disciplinary vocabulary of arithmetic of the students. Concerning the contributions, children’s literature has constituted an important source of student motivation and participation. It also favored the reinvestment of disciplinary vocabulary. The limits of this research are more pertaining to the length and the meaning of certain questions considering the fact that certain students do not have French as their native language which could’ve had an impact on their level of comprehension relating to the questions on the literacy network.

Text in Afrikaans with Abstracts in Afrikaans, English and isiZulu / In hierdie proefskrif word ondersoek ingestel na die parateks as narratiewe strategie vir toeganklikheid in geselekteerde Afrikaanse kinder- en jeugliteratuur. Die kern van hierdie ondersoek is die toeganklikheid van die boodskap binne die paratekstuele en narratiewe kommunikasiesituasie. Vir hierdie ondersoek is die sentrale probleemstelling soos volg geformuleer: hoe word die parateks as narratiewe strategie gebruik om kinder- en jeugliteratuur meer toeganklik vir jong lesers te maak? Gérard Genette se werk oor die parateks (1997a) en die narratologie (1983, 1990) dien as teoretiese basis vir hierdie studie se konseptuele raamwerk, aangevul deur die werk van Mieke Bal (1991, 2009). Jauss (1982) se resepsie-estetika word ook betrek ten einde toeganklikheid ten opsigte van die primêre teikenmark te formuleer. Binne die konteks van hierdie konseptuele raamwerk, word daar afsonderlik ondersoek ingestel na die ontvangers, senders en boodskap van die paratekstuele en narratiewe kommunikasiesituasie. Die ontvangers is die lesers van die parateks as narratiewe strategie vir toeganklikheid en word bespreek as die primêre, dubbele en tweeledige teikenmarkte. Die senders is die verskillende skrywers betrokke by die skepping en implementering van die parateks as narratiewe strategie vir toeganklikheid. Onderskeid word getref tussen die primêre skrywer, die tweede skrywer en die sekondêre skrywer. Laastens word die boodskap ondersoek soos dit met die visuele parateks en die talige parateks verband hou. Aan die hand van die konseptuele raamwerk van hierdie studie, en die verskillende rolspelers en boodskappe binne die paratekstuele en narratiewe kommunikasiesituasie, dui die studie aan hoe die parateks as narratiewe strategie gebruik kan word om kinder- en jeugliteratuur vir veral die primêre teikenmark meer toeganklik te maak. / This thesis sets out to illustrate how the paratext can be used as narrative strategy for accessibility in selected Afrikaans children’s and youth fiction. Central to this study is the accessibility of the message in the paratextual and narrative communication situation. In this regard, the central research question is as follows: how can the paratext be used as a narrative strategy to make children’s and youth literature more accessible for young readers? Gérard Genette’s work on the paratext (1997a) and narratology (1983, 1990) serves as the theoretical basis for this study’s conceptual framework, along with the work of Mieke Bal (1991, 2009). In order to define accessibility in terms of the primary target audience, reference is also made to Jauss’s (1982) reception theory. Within the context of this conceptual framework, focus is placed on the receivers, senders and message of the paratextual and narrative communication situation. The receivers are the readers of the paratext as narrative strategy for accessibility and are discussed as the primary, twofold and dual target audiences. The senders are the different writers involved in the creation and implementation of the paratext as narrative strategy for accessibility. Here a distinction is made between the primary writer, the second writer and the secondary writer. Lastly, the message is discussed as it relates to the visual paratext and textual paratext. Through the conceptual framework of this study, along with the different role players and messages of the paratext as narrative strategy for accessibility, this study shows how the paratext as narrative strategy can be used to make children’s and youth literature more accessible for especially the primary target audience. / Le thisisi ihlose ukuveza ukuthi umbhalo ohunyushiwe ungasetshenziswa kanjani njengesu lokuxoxa emibhalweni ekhethiwe yesiBhunu yezingane kanye naleyo yabantu abasha .Okubalulekile kulesi sifundo socwaningo wukutholakala komlayezo wombhalo ohunyushiwe kanye nesimo sokuxhumana ngengxoxo. Ngalokho-ke, umbuzo oyinsika kulesi sifundo socwaningo ngolandelayo: Ngabe inkulumo ehunyushiwe ingasetshenziswa kanjani njengesu lokuxoxa, elingenza ukuthi imibhalo yobuciko yezingane kanye naleyo yabantu abasha ukuze itholakale kalula kubafundi abasebasha? Umsebenzi kaGérard Genette i-paratext (1997a) kanye ne-narratology (1983, 1990) usebenza njengesisekelo sesakhiwo sebizo salesi sifundo socwaningo, kanti lokhu kuhambisana nomsebenzi ka MiekeBal (1991,2009). Ukuze siphumelele ukuchaza mayelana nokutholakala kwabafundi bezincwadi abahlosiwe, uyanxuswa ukuthi ufunde ithiyori emayelana nokutholakala kwabafundi bomlayezo ka Jauss (1982). Ngaphansi kwesimo sesakhiwo segama, kugxilwe kakhulu kubamukeli, kubathumeli kanye nakumlayezo wombhalo ohunyushiwe kanye nesimo sokuxhumana ngengxoxo. Abamukeli bomlayezo kungabafundi bombhalo ohunyushiwe, okuyisu elisetshenziswa ukuthola umlayezo, kanti la masu axoxwa njengalawo aqonde abafundi bokuqala, abambaxambili futhi anezinhloso ezimbili.. Abathumeli bomlayezo kungabhali abadlala indima yokwakha kanye nokusebenzisa imibhalo ehunyushiwe njengesu lokuxoxa elisetshenziswa ukuthola umlayezo. Lapha, kuvezwa umehluko ophakathi kombhali wokuqala, umbhali wesibili kanye nombhali osezingeni lesibili. Okukugcina, umlayezo uxoxwa njengoba uhlobana nombhalo ohunyushiwe obukelwayo kanye nombhalo ohunyushiwe olotshiwe Ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lwesakhiwo segama salesi sifundo, esisebenzisana ndawonye nabadlali bendima abahlukahlukene kanye nemilayezo yombhalo ohunyushiwe njengesu lokuxoxa elisetshenziswa ukuthola umlayezo, lokhu kukhombisa ukuthi umbhalo ohunyushiwe oyisu lokuxoxa ungasetshenziswa kanjani ukwenza ukuthi imibhalo yobuciko yezingane kanye naleyo yabantu abasha ingatholakala kanjani, ikakhulukazi ngabafundi bokuqala abahlosiwe. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / D. Litt et Phil. (Afrikaans)