Pre-service Frontline Teachers: Picture Books for Language Teaching and Inner Growth

Pre-service Frontline Teachers: Picture Books for Language Teaching and Inner Growth

Picture books demonstrate great potential in developing language competencies and nurturing positive values.  Illustrated with pictures and text, these books cover diverse topics, weaving stories and touching upon emotions, life education, and moral values.  In practice, because of a lack of relevant research and the difficulty teachers face in terms of resource selection and curriculum connection, the use of picture books remains underutilised in the classroom.

Dr Elaine Choy, Senior Lecturer II from the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, has authored a number of picture books based on positive psychology. Her works — Worry Leo and Magic Bunny, Worry Leo and Mr Crab, and Village of the Present — focus on self-development, emotional and present-moment awareness, providing pre-service teachers with teaching resources formulated on a theoretical foundation.  In a recent service experience, EdUHK’s pre-service teachers put picture books into practice at Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School and Society of Boys' Centres Shing Tak Centre School.

At Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School, our pre-service teachers designed activities focusing on managing emotions and positive thinking for Primary Five and Six students. They used Village of the Present to guide students through a mindfulness practice to learn to focus attention on the present moment and regulate emotions. With the Satir Temperature Reading cards from Worry Leo and Mr Crab, students learned to notice and express their feelings and emotions by referencing weather conditions. Positive reactions were observed as students were willing to share, acquiring an initial understanding of emotion management.  The Principal, Mr Phlip Kam-yuen Law, affirmed the effectiveness of these activities, and considered that picture books are both educational and highly relevant to daily life. He also said that the school would continue to develop school-based picture books.

At Society of Boys' Centres Shing Tak Centre School, Primary Six and Secondary One students spent three weeks attending picture book lessons led by our pre-service teachers. To fit in with the school’s Chinese Language teaching schedule, our EdUHK students took over the lessons on Chinese classical poetry, where young pupils were guided with illustrations to understand the Chinese stylistic device — ‘expressing emotions through imagery’. From visuals on natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and turbulent waves, students were able to observe and then point out the connections between emotions and scenery. With a strengthened understanding, students further developed the ability to apply these lessons regularly. The Vice Principal, Mr Wai-kin Cheng, said picture books could help reduce reading anxiety, enabling reluctant students to build confidence and become more active in Chinese Language lessons. Through ‘white space’ and role playing, students learned to express emotions in positive ways, internalising moral values.

The experience demonstrates that picture books can nurture affective values, integrate multiple disciplines, and fit in with school curricula. Local schools are welcome to contact Dr Elaine Choy of the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies at ylchoy@eduhk.hk, or stay tuned to the latest news on picture book activities held by our department.

Report by The Hong Kong Economic Journal: https://edu.hkej.com/php/article.detail.php?aid=64334

EdUHK students designed picture book activities for primary students at Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School, with a focus on emotion management and positive thinking.

At Society of Boys' Centres Shing Tak Centre School, EdUHK students used picture books to guide students at the school to understand the Chinese stylistic device — ‘expressing emotions through imagery’.