Abstract
AN INVESTIGATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS THROUGH PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS’ VIEWS AND BOOK REVIEWS
The purpose of this research is to evaluate children's books used in pre-schools regarding their authors, how they are selected and how reading activities are planned. Document analysis and interview techniques were used to collect the data. The sample of the study consists of 145 pre-school teachers working in kindergartens affiliated to Directorate of National Education in Çanakkale Province and 12 children’s picture books. The data obtained in the study were evaluated by content analysis and descriptive analysis techniques. Findings obtained from the books examined within the scope of the research reveal that language and expression features, visual items in the books and problem and solution situations presented in the books vary according to the authors.
Findings from interviews with teachers present that Eric Carle, Feridun Oral and Sara Şahinkanat are the most well-known children's book authors by preschool teachers. However, when the findings are evaluated together, it is understood that preschool teachers have limited knowledge of the authors of children's books. In addition, the results reveal that teachers consider the content of the books and their educational and instructive features rather than the authors in the selection of children's books. Another remarkable finding that emerged in the research is that most of the preschool teachers in the study do not perform reading activities regularly in their classrooms.
Keywords
Preschool, children’s literature, picture book, children’s book author.