Social Imagination in Wordless Book Reading

• In Event: Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: Reading Practices

Abstract

The reading process and reading development have been addressed by researchers for decades. However, less is known about how reading influences other aspects of children’s development, specifically the development of social imagination. To address this, we examined one child’s wordless picture book reading for instances of social imagination using a conceptually derived coding scheme. We asked: Is the exercise of social imagination visible in wordless book reading, and if so, what does that tell us about how the relationship between the reading process and social imagination? Results suggest that social imagination is observable in wordless book reading and that it is an integral part of the comprehension of stories. Implications for the relationship between reading and development are discussed.

Author

• Judith T. Lysaker, Purdue University