C8547 - PEDAGOGIA DELLA NARRAZIONE PER LA PRIMA INFANZIA

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will:

• demonstrate knowledge of and critically employ pedagogical reflections and narrative practices concerning the various forms of stories and representations addressed to early childhood within a 0–6 educational perspective, with particular attention to the 0–3 age group;

• understand and effectively use narrative resources to support and foster the different dimensions of child development, including cognitive, physical, psychomotor, emotional, relational, social, communicative, and linguistic development;

• demonstrate knowledge of and apply specific narrative strategies for early childhood education, with particular emphasis on play-based learning, bodily awareness, self-expression, and multimodal forms of communication;

• be able to promote the development of early childhood competencies by facilitating children's engagement with appropriate narrative resources;

• possess a sound understanding of the pedagogical categories and critical frameworks required to approach the diverse forms of children's narratives and the complexity of children's imaginative worlds;

• be able to navigate the landscape of narrative traditions and of classical and contemporary authors, particularly in relation to early childhood, and demonstrate mastery of interpretative tools suited to the plurality of languages and forms through which narratives for children are expressed.

Course contents

The course explores the principal themes and issues related to tales and literature for early childhood. Following a general introduction to the field, including an overview of the history of children's literature and its relationship with educational processes, the course will examine in depth those genres and forms of storytelling that are particularly relevant to children aged 0–3. Topics will include fairy tales, nursery rhymes, picturebook reading, children's first encounters with books, puppetry and figure theatre, cartoons, and, finally, oral storytelling in the home, the library, and early childhood education settings.

The aim of the course is to provide early childhood educators and practitioners with pedagogical resources that will enable them to navigate consciously and critically the vast and diverse world of stories for very young children, avoiding stereotypes, outdated and impoverished educational models, and simplistic approaches to narrative practice.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory book (forthcoming, available from March 2027):

- W. Grandi, Pedagogia della narrazione, Mondadori Università, Milano 2027

Study of your choice of one of the following texts:

L. Acone, S. Barsotti, W. Grandi, Da genti e paesi lontani. La fiaba nel tempo tra canone, metamorfosi e risonanze, Marcianum Press, Venezia, 2023.

- M. Campagnaro, M. Dallari, Incanto e racconto nel labirinto delle figure. Albi illustrati e relazione educativa, Erickson, Trento, 2013.

- R. Caso, Di storia in storia. Crescere come lettori in età prescolare, Anicia, Roma, 2013.

- Hamelin (associazione culturale, a cura di), Ad occhi aperti. Leggere l'albo illustrato, Donzelli Editore, Roma, 2012.

- R. Navoni, Il teatro dei burattini nell'educazione e nella formazione della persona, Marcianum Press, Venezia, 2023.

Reading of two of the following texts/picture books for early childhood:

- M. E. Agostinelli, Sembra questo, sembra quello, Salani, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- S. Bravi, L'uccellino fa, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- P. Corentin, Papà!, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- L. Lionni, Piccolo Blu e piccolo Giallo, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- I. e E. Mari, L'uovo e la gallina, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione)

- M. Ramos, Il più forte, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- M. Sendak, Nel paese dei mostri selvaggi, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- B. Tognolini, P. Valentinis, Mammalingua. Ventuno filastrocche per neonati e per la voce delle mamme, Editrice il Castoro - Edizioni Tuttestorie, Milano, 2018.

- M. Waddel, P. Benson, I tre piccoli gufi, Mondadori (vari anni di edizione)

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Bibliography for Erasmus Students

1 Compulsory Italian Book:

- W. Grandi, Pedagogia della narrazione, Mondadori Università, Milano 2027

5 Compulsory English Academic Articles (You can download them in Virtuale):

- A. Antoniazzi, Masha and the bear. A new educational paradigm, in Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica – Journal of Theories and Research in Education 11, 3 (2016).

- M. Bernardi, Children’s literature and illustrated novels. Educating readers, literary works and visual surprises, in Studi sulla Formazione: 22, 85-95, 2019-2

- G. Grilli, The artistic nonfiction picturebook, in Goga, N., Iversen, S. H. and Teigland, A.-S. (Eds.) (2021). Verbal and visual strategies in nonfiction picturebooks: Theoretical and analytical approaches. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press.

- C. Lepri, M.C. Botines, LIONNI’S LITTLE BLUE AND LITTLE YELLOW: THE JOY OF THE ENCOUNTER, in Revista Internacional de Culturas y Literaturas, junio 2018.

- M.T. Trisciuzzi, Image and imagination in education. Visual narrative through children’s literature, in Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica – Journal of Theories and Research in Education 12, 3 (2017).

Reading of two of the following texts/picture books for early childhood:

- M. E. Agostinelli, Sembra questo, sembra quello, Salani, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- S. Bravi, L'uccellino fa, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- P. Corentin, Papà!, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- L. Lionni, Piccolo Blu e piccolo Giallo, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- I. e E. Mari, L'uovo e la gallina, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione)

- M. Ramos, Il più forte, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- M. Sendak, Nel paese dei mostri selvaggi, Babalibri, Milano (vari anni di edizione).

- B. Tognolini, P. Valentinis, Mammalingua. Ventuno filastrocche per neonati e per la voce delle mamme, Editrice il Castoro - Edizioni Tuttestorie, Milano, 2018.

- M. Waddel, P. Benson, I tre piccoli gufi, Mondadori (vari anni di edizione)

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered through lectures conducted in Italian. During each session, a portion of the time will be devoted to collective discussion in order to collaboratively develop a conceptual framework that will help students navigate the contents, language, and themes addressed during the class. Supplementary materials will be made available on Virtuale.

Assessment methods

Assessment Methods

Assessment of learning outcomes will be carried out through a written examination. The written test is designed to assess students’ knowledge of the course content, their linguistic proficiency, and their ability to organize and critically present information related to the topics discussed during lectures and covered in the assigned readings. Sample examination papers will be made available on the University’s Virtuale platform. Erasmus students may sit the written examination in Italian, English, Spanish, or French.

The written examination consists of five questions. Questions 1 and 2 will focus on the compulsory text; Questions 3 and 4 will concern the text selected by the student from the recommended options; Question 5 will require an analysis of the picturebooks chosen by the student.

Each question will be marked on a scale from 0 to 6 on the basis of the accuracy of the content presented and the quality and precision of the analysis. The maximum overall score is 30 points, as final grades are awarded on the Italian 30-point grading scale.

In the event of a failed examination, students are not required to skip a subsequent examination session and may register for the next available sitting.

Registration for the examination is compulsory through the online system (AlmaEsami) and must be completed within the established deadlines. Students who are unable to register by the deadline due to technical issues are required to notify the Academic Administration Office promptly (and in any case before the official closure of the registration period). The course instructor reserves the right to decide whether such students may be admitted to the examination.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or Temporary or Permanent Disabilities

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant University Office in a timely manner (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). The Office will propose any appropriate accommodations for the students concerned. Such accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their suitability in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

The use of artificial intelligence tools during the examination is strictly prohibited in any form, including chatbots, text-generation systems, advanced translation tools, content-summarization applications, and AI functionalities integrated into digital devices.

Teaching tools

Throughout the lectures and in the period following the course sessions, a wide range of teaching and learning materials will be made available on Virtuale to students enrolled in the course in order to support and facilitate their study activities.

Office hours

See the website of William Grandi