My question which will be the topic of my critical review:-
Does having more environmental books at an early age help to teach children more about the environment, and does it have an impact or not?
Chapter 1 – 400 words.
Chapter 2 – 400 words.
Chapter 3 – 600 words.
Conclusion – 400 words. What were the areas of influence and what does it mean
Bibliography – Harvard referencing.
To start with I intend to do some research and feedback from family and friends who have children for the final draft of this Critical Review, but for now I just need to see what’s out there in regard to a response to the above question.
Introduction
I googled the first part of the question to gauge a starting point. I found a quote from the Booktrust ‘The right characters and stories can help explain these topics in a way that makes them accessible to kids. Helps them to understand how they can make a difference to the world, reconnects them with the world around them, and most importantly, empowers them to take action for their environments’.
McRobert, L. (2024) ‘Engaging children in environmental concerns’ [Booktrust] 19th March. :www.booktrust.org.uk (Accessed: 1st April 11:50am 2024).
Well I found lots of information relating to my question above, but getting the right view points was trickier. I could have easily gone down many avenues on all different areas that could have been a good part of this review, but I needed to stick to the core question.
I found an article from Whitehot Headshot a professional photographer at the aforementioned company, who did an article on LinkedIn about ‘The importance of environmental education for young children. This will be the basis of my argument that yes having more environmental books at an early age can help to teach children more about the environment, and yes in turn this does have a positive impact on the children and the environment for the future.
Bushy, F. (2023) ‘The importance of environmental education for young children’ [Whitehotheadshot] 21st August. :https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-environmental-education-young-children-whitehot-headshot (Accessed: 1st April 2024).
This was based on the author Florian Bushy who is an award winning indie book author, who has produced over 100 educational short documentaries and books for schools.
Some of Florians book titles are:-
Living green and the smoke: a story about air pollution, global warming and team work.
Bushy, F (2022) Living green and the smoke [Independently published].
Living green and the lake water: A magical story about teamwork and the importance of forests and lakes, ponds and river preservation.
Bushy, F (2003) Living green and the lake water [Independently published].
Chapter 1 (400 words.) Whitehot Headshot. (Florian Bushy) An author that through his writing and passion for the environment wants children to become more eco friendly and educated to help the future generations and the planet.
Now the world has increased challenges on environmental issues, having a sense of responsibility for our planet and our role as individuals in it, we need to look to the younger generation to continue. But also work harder to have a more positive and pro-active impact on the world and each other. In today’s world we need to influence and install the love of nature and sustainability into young children particularly children aged 4-8 years old. Using innovative methods such as environmental books and picture books, gives a fun and accessible way as well as engaging children into the world and their place within it.
Parents are key to developing an appreciation for nature and sustainability and the practises needed to up-keep these influences. Recycling, gardening, wildlife, love of animals, wildflowers and walking. Talking about the climate and the changes, pollution, conservation and being empathetic to animals and nature. Teaching children about conserving energy, turning off the lights if your not in the room, reducing the use of plastic in the home, get old toys out and rediscover them, picking flowers for the house from the garden. Doing all of this as a family everyday in the daily routine will install a model eco-conscious behaviour, it will empower children to choose positive changes and a passion for the environment.
Children need to empathise with the environment and all its inhabitants. They need to learn to respect the world. Children are curious, so we need to use this quality by educating them through picture books, into the wonders of nature, inspire them with knowledge of animals, plants, trees and the climate. Children need to get outdoors more in this digital age, they need to connect with the beauty of the great outdoors, its crucial for their wellbeing and health, so what better way than through environmental education, moving them away from the screen to books then onto the outside world.
Kids have amazing imaginations at that early age, so they can be transported to worlds under the sea, in the sky, in the parks, vibrant eco systems, creating a notion to explore, have fun and a desire to protect our planet. Using education and picture books helps to raise discussions in the family and about sustainable practises and responsibility, it also shows children that even small actions make a significant difference, they can become activist themselves, telling their cousins, grandparents and school friends to recycle, look after bugs as they are good for the garden. They have a voice and can protect the earth they love.
Chapter 2 (400 words.) International research in geographical and environmental education. A study of 11 children who were taught using 8 eco books for schools on the environment, and the outcome of whether it worked or not!
Hsiao, C-Y. Shih, P-Y. (2015) ‘Exploring the effectiveness of picture books for teaching young children the concepts of environmental protection’. [Researchgate] 15th November : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283562991_Exploring_the_effectiveness_of_picture_books_for_teaching_young_children_the_concepts_of_environmental_protection (Accessed 1st April 2024).
A study was set up with 11 children aged 5-6 years, it aimed to investigate whether the use of picture books by infant school teachers had an influence on environmental concepts and recycling.
3 sub themes were integrated into the study:-
- The impact of human activity on the environment.
- The rubbish problem and recycling.
- Environmental protection.
The study used 8 young children’s picture books that related to environmental education and the study lasted 8 weeks of teaching. The result of the study was that the children’s concepts had increased greatly using activities, the children involved learnt about recycling and reusing resources, they also understood how to reduce rubbish, use less water, electricity and paper, as well as other behaviours that would help with the environment. The children learnt to do these through their own actions, like using less water when washing their hands and cleaning their teeth. Using hankies instead of tissues, turning off the lights and televisions without the teacher reminding them to do so. Also using less paper when drawing, using the back of the paper and spare spaces around other drawings when doodling.
One thing that the study didn’t show had changed though was the use of plastic bags! This was not improved! As a result of the study and on others on the subjects of science and the natural world, it was stated that picture books do encourage children to imagine and act. The use of picture books at this early stage in education environmental issues can enrich a child’s knowledge and help them to take on activities which protect and conserve conservation. The process is reading, imagining and thinking then acting on the lessons learnt in the book to learn the process and habits. It helps children to be aware of their own actions and willingness to improve. Providing diverse actions and different subjects in picture books on environmental issues not only conveys information but also has an impact on the children’s creativity, which can lead to solutions to address future problems.
It was concluded that the use of children’s books with environmental content leads to a better understanding of the concepts about the environment. The influence over children with picture books is a lot greater than the TV and newspapers. Also it teaches greater sensitivity towards the environment, having good illustrated materials or pictures in the books also makes it easier for the children to learn. This was considered better than long texts.
Chapter 3 (600 words.) Comparison between Whitehot headshot (Florian Bushy) and a completed trial.
Main differences:-
Obviously the main difference is Florian Bushy is an author of children’s books, and the study is from a research institution for education.
Approach:-
Bushy’s approach is to get children to learn about the environment through his writing and also with the help of an illustrator to bring his stories and information to life.
The research institution has to have evidence to prove that the children learnt something after the 8 weeks of teaching with environmental picture books, so there has to be an outcome to the findings.
Audience:-
Bushy’s audience is the children who read and look at the books, the teachers that use them in education and school, and also the parents or families of the children who read or show them the books.
The research institution’s audience is schools, education boards, people like me who are working on there degree research, hopefully authors and illustrators of children’s books, the government and environmental agencies.
Influences:-
Bushy’s influences are to inspire children to think about the environment, and hopefully to get them to build behaviours that are targeting the problems we face in the world. Also to be able to influence any age with his books, so that he can inspire the whole family not just the child. Also to help teachers and educators plan lessons and provide information on the environment.
For the research institution their influences are to find out if picture books have an impact on children, and do these inspire them to make changes or become mini activists. Do picture books get the information into children more than other editorial platforms, and if so in what way. It’s a more focused and proof based outcome which influences them into the study.
Philosophy:-
Bushy’s philosophy is more about wanting to help everyone to understand the problem we face in the world today, and the impact of environmental issues. Also giving us some information to help us change our habits for the better, which in turn creates a positive outcome. It’s a wish that his books will make this happen.
For the research institution there philosophy is more about finding out the outcomes, showing that information to people and letting them do what they want to do with the information. They perform a study or service then it is up to other people to do what they want with the information.
More differences:-
Bushy does not know any outcomes of how his books impacts the children who read them, unless he gets some feedback from teachers or sees reviews on his books by parents, but these will be mainly focused on the book, was it easy to read, my child enjoyed the book, the illustrations are colourful, what a cute character, I really liked reading this with my son. etc.
Whereas the research study has a definite outcome a definite impact, it tells us how it has made a difference to the children’s behaviours, how they continue to complete the activities at home and in school, at how their tasks are creating a better outcome and positive change in there area of the world. It also shows that it has had a benefit to their creativity which has helped the child in another way.
Both Bushy and the study team are working along the same line, in that they want an outcome. But Bushy wants a positive outcome, so he wants to influence children into becoming more environmentally aware and to get them to be activist’s for the future and pass on those behaviours to others.
The study team do not mind what the outcome is, whether that would be positive or negative they are purely there to tell the findings, show people the research and the final outcome. So in turn they are both very different. But if Bushy used the research before he wrote his next book, would his style or planning be any different than to what he does now? Also what if he had already read this research before he started writing specifically for environmental books for children, or was this why he started specifically writing these types of books?
I know for me personally this have given me a stronger desire and influence to create more books, or at least would like to illustrate more books like this in the future. And what if the research study used one of Bushy’s books in the research trial, and this was one of the books that really influenced some of those 11 children to use less water when cleaning their teeth? Two very different sets of people/ institutions, yet using the subject in the same way.
Conclusion (400 words) What were the areas of influence and what does it mean?
So going back to the question:-
Does having more environmental books at an early age help to teach children more about the environment, and does it have an impact or not?
So in conclusion the answer would be yes, due to both authors like Floridan Bushy and also because we have evidence and proof from the study by the research institute of education. But there are exceptions as seen in the study, the use of plastic bags didn’t change, they stayed the same. I also think it is important who teaches them when using the picture books and also how well the family/ parents react to the children wanting to be mini activist or wanting to change things in the home, changing their behaviours.
If the teachers are themselves passionate and inspired this will rub off on to the children. In turn if the family/ parents are also eager to change and willing to learn, this would help the children more and also create a larger change, the more people that get involved the greater the impact and positive change to the environment. Having books on different subjects for the environment like Floridans titles makes it manageable and targeted, if the education system could use picture books like these in schools. Bookshops had a wider variety with lots of lovely enticing illustrations, readers emotional responses and involvement in the stories have a stronger link to the characters and the plot, which in turn helps the child to remember the book vividly and therefore has a bigger impact on them.
The study only lasted 8 weeks, so if the teaching went on longer or was backed up by reading at home, maybe the use of plastic bags would have eventually been reduced, or it just needed a specific book or poster on this to have had a targeted effect. Maybe a more dynamic character would have done the trick instead, so it was more memorable to the children.
As I am working on a children’s book for this unit of my degree and the subject is about the environment especially, trees, flowers, gardens and the animals and insects that live there, this has given me a lot of food for thought and also some hope, that what I’m trying to achieve really would have an impact, not only on the environment but also on the children and families and their health and well being. Sometimes what you are passionate about feels as though only you as one person couldn’t create the change that is needed in the world, but when you find some research that tells you differently it has a huge impact on you.
Bibliography
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-environmental-education-young-children-whitehot-headshot
educa.win/florian-bushy
ruthgoodwinsillustration.home.blog 