From pages to practice: Cultivating life skills through picturebooks

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore how engagement with multimodal literature can cultivate life skills among Norwegian third graders (ages 8-9). The research investigates how students interpret and discuss the verbal and visual elements of the picturebook “Big Cat, little cat” and how they relate these elements to their personal experiences and understanding of real-life events. The overarching question guiding this research is: How can engagement with “Big Cat, little cat” through group discussions contribute to third graders’ development of life skills? To answer this question, I first conducted a multimodal analysis of the picturebook and group discussions with third graders in the Norwegian English classroom. The intervention included reading and discussion sessions in small groups (2-4 students), which were audio recorded. I applied thematic analysis on the transcribed student responses to the book. The discussions made abstract concepts accessible and relatable to the students. Encouraged by the picturebook itself, each other’s insights, and open-ended questions, the students shared their perceptions and interpretations openly. They explored various themes and participated in discussions about the book’s elements and the emotions these evoked, thus fostering various life skills, such as emotional and social development, communication skills, creative thinking, and coping mechanisms. The findings indicate that “Big Cat, little cat” encourages students to explore complex emotional and existential themes, such as bereavement, companionship, and the continuity of life. Moreover, the picturebook offered a platform that enabled them to engage with the narrative in active and meaningful ways. This study highlights the transformative role of literature in education by illustrating how engagement with literary works can serve as a powerful tool for developing life skills, equipping students to manage life’s challenges and opportunities in a healthy way.