Experts say that despite the increase in supply, the quality of books is good. We’ve compiled a list of tips on what to consider when buying an emotional literacy book for your child.
– Thanks to the books, children are better able to express their feelings and interpret their friends’ expressions, which helps them to pay more attention to their friends,” says Tuomainen.
The proliferation of emotional literacy books is exceptional
Pik’s story is one of a number of children’s emotional literacy books. They are a relatively new form of children’s literature. The surge in the children’s book market started a few years ago when emotional literacy became part of the early childhood education curriculum.
At one point, twenty books on emotional intelligence were published a year, but since then the number has fallen a few notches.
For comparison, slightly less than 190 domestic children’s picture books were published in 2021, of which emotional skills were discussed in 14 books. In the last five years, about 70 books have been published. In reality, the number is probably higher, as emotions are dealt with in a large number of children’s books.
The expert considers the rise of emotional skills books to be a rare phenomenon.
Too good books?
The abundant supply of books has not had a negative impact on their quality. The Children’s Book Institute’s Laaksonen says that quite often the authors of emotional skills books have a background in education.
It is reflected in the fact that, from an educational point of view, the content of the books is very high quality, but correspondingly, the artistic side, such as illustrations and language, are not necessarily as good as in traditional children’s picture literature.
– I would pay attention to the fact that the text should be well written and rich in vocabulary, so that it supports the development of the language, Laaksonen emphasizes.
Both early childhood education and children’s literature experts give emotional skills books a bit of a thumbs up for making them too \”scientific\”. Emotions and emotional reactions are often emphasized in books too much. It is not always necessary, because children understand the meanings of stories amazingly well.
We asked early childhood education experts for a list of features that a good emotional skills book should have:
Part of the quality is also indicated by the fact that kindergartens mainly use the same books that are made for consumers. The reason for this is also the fact that the municipalities do not have the money to acquire emotional skills books separately, in which case it is not worth making them.
Books are a tool to pave the way to school
The use of picture books is already brought up in the training of future early childhood education professionals. For example, at the LAB University of Applied Sciences, emotional skills education has become a very central part of the education of early childhood education social workers.
Competence in emotional skills facilitates the child’s path to school and throughout later life, when interaction skills develop.
*You can discuss the topic until 23:00 on Friday 10 February 2023.*