Without a doubt, there are different theoretical models of childhood development that exist in children’s literature. Children’s literature has been used as a tool to help children identify with the world that they live in. Different philosophers believed that a child’s development occurs in stages and that each stage presented a new challenge for the child. Children’s literature, such as Harold and the Purple Crayon, when effectively used, is a tool that parents may use to help children identify with the stage of development that the child may be going through.The author Owocki (2001) is quoted saying: ‘‘Children’s unique interests, ways of knowing, and dispositions in? uence how and to what extent they participate in early literacy events, and in turn, the knowledge they construct. ’’ There are several theories of childhood development that parents may find in children’s literature.
Parenting for cognitive development is the continual, purposeful engagement by parents with young children in cognitively based activities (Schaub 2004). Several philosophers have provided different theories that outline the stages of childhood development.The philosopher, Jean Piaget believed in the theory of cognitive or intellectual development. He believed that there are four major periods that children go through in their development.
The first period is called the sensorimotor period and it occurs roughly from birth to two years of age. As one can imagine, it is a very important period of a child’s developmental stage. During this period, the child is interested only with the things that he or she can see, hear, smell, taste and feel.Children also become concerned with figuring out how to use their hand and legs. This is the period in which it is important to introduce children to the concept of reading. For this reason, there are many books that are written specifically to enhance to the child’s experience during this period.
The next period is the preoperational period and it occurs between the ages of two to seven years. This period is extremely important as well because it is the period following the first period and can be very confusing for children.There are two stages in the preoperational period. The first stage is called the preconceptual stage and it occurs between the first two to three years of this stage.
In this stage children will become aware of their surroundings, but their views are still somewhat egocentric. However, the second stage is the intuitive stage and it occurs between the ages of four and seven. The children’s views become less egocentric and they become more interested in their surroundings during the latter part of this stage.The next period is called the Period of Concrete Operation and it is the time that children learn to use logic and problem solving skills. Their attention span increases and they become more interested in the people that they encounter on a daily basis. Literature that has multiple chapters and historical information are books that may interest children in this period.
The children’s logical thinking ability leads them to search for answers to questions that involve issues of the past. Children also learn to use information from the past to help with situations that may affect the present and future.This is the period that will prepare the child for the final and arguably the most important period that they will have to face. The last period is the Period of Formal Operation and it occurs during the ages of eleven and fifteen.
Piaget believed this is the period that a child reaches its full level of maturity. They become more interested with issues of society and the views of others. Most children in this stage are ready for more mature literature because their interests tend to be of a more mature nature. Children in this stage have already had the chance to deal with issues of various degrees.The different type of literature that is available to them provides them with various roadmaps to help them handle each situation.
Therefore, once they reach this stage, they are more than capable of dealing with the more mature issues that come along with adolescence. Several children’s literature books follow a format that coincides with the stages of children development as outlined by philosophers like Piaget and Erickson. Children’s literary books like Harold and the Purple Crayon follow the theoretical model of Piaget.In the story, Harold is a protagonist that has a very intuitive imagination.
Several literary books for this age group follow this format. The book follows the story of a four year old boy who has the power to create a world of his own with his purple crayon. The story takes readers through the adventure with the child by exploring the world through the eyes of the child. The book follows the same stages that Piaget stated that four year olds experience during the preoperational period.
Harold’s intuitive nature leads him on a quest to that takes him through various stages of his imagination.His imagination not only leads to pleasant situations, but he also has to deal with fear and danger. His ability to use his imagination is a reflection of how children in the preoperational period deal with situations that are difficult to four year olds. Harold eventually reaches his goal and conquers all of his fears. Children’s literature has been a part of the development of children for several years.
Children’s development occurs in stages and the literature many times are a reflection of those stages.Philosophers have spent countless hours creating theories and drawing parallels to the developmental stages of childhood. The similarities are only a testament to the importance of the role that children’s literature plays in the development of children. So whether parents choose to use Harold and the Purple Crayon as a children’s developmental tool or they decide to seek out another piece of children’s literature for assistance. They can find comfort in knowing that there are several books that will help them with the developmental process.
