Rethinking the portrayal of deaf characters in children's picture books

Frontiers in Psychology

Debbie B. Golos¹ 

关键词: deaf;    culture;    portrayal;    children's picture books;    deaf gain;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00889

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Children's literature provides the opportunity for children to see both representations of themselves and of others in print and in pictures. Not only can engaging with picture books develop key literacy and language skills and a love of reading, but reading (and/or being read) high quality books also has the potential to foster an appreciation and respect for oneself and others. However, sometimes the diversity that exists in the real world is not represented well—or at all—in books created for young children (Mendoza and Reese, 2001; Kama, 2004). In this article we will discuss the lack of, and critical need for, children's books that portray Deaf1 characters from a cultural perspective. We will also provide examples, from a sampling of children's picture books, of messages about deafness and deaf characters in text and illustrations (e.g., Golos and Moses, 2011; Golos et al., 2012). Finally, we will highlight the implications for both hearing and d/Deaf children as well as parents and educators.

【 授权许可】

CC BY