Exploring multimodal narratives created through play and talk by children in a Reception Class: the stories children imagine

Campbell, Louise (2022) Exploring multimodal narratives created through play and talk by children in a Reception Class: the stories children imagine. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This study looks at the narratives young children create and, using Propp's narrative theory, investigates their structure. The study considers how children create and tell these stories and with what content. It addresses the multimodal approaches children employ to generate and share stories, and the use of collaborative talk in the development of narrative.

This teacher-researcher study is a small-scale ethnographic case study of Reception children in a small city independent school, conducted predominantly during the Covid-19 lockdown period. Data were obtained through observation, record keeping and conversations with the children. This study centred around a small group of children and the stories they created independently and collaboratively. All passionate storytellers, they were keen to weave, elaborate and imaginative stories using a plethora of modes, sometimes telling them to themselves, other times to an audience.

This research found that children can adopt a range of techniques that work alongside the verbalised story, from image to role-play, all of which work together to help tell the complex and imaginative stories children are able to produce. Applying Propp’s theory offered some understanding of the content of the stories created and showed that narratives created by children frequently follow the structure he proposed. Through the analysis of these narratives, it was clear that many of Propp’s narrative elements were evident in the stories transcribed here. It became apparent, however, that Propp’s theory did not allow for understanding or recognition of the multimodal approaches that the children applied to the telling and creating of their stories: Propp only explained part of the story. For these children, creating a drawing alongside, using props or acting out their stories were part of the process of creating a story and held as much importance to the children as the narrative itself.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	28 Mar 2023 08:56
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2023 08:56
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91693
DOI:

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