How Literature can Help Young Children Understand Death
Introduction
Issues that deal with death in a family or any other context are hard to broach with children of a tender age-especially preschoolers. This is usually difficult because the involved seniors to the children are at such moments also in deep sorrow of their own loss. However, due to its inevitability and the inquisition of children that has to come by at one time or the other; there has to be a way to make them understand it too. Preschoolers may or may not know a few things about death from earlier times and experiences. Those that might have heard about it may have gotten the information from fairy tales, television or they may have encountered dead animals like birds or insects around their homes or school. On the other hand, some may have already lost a family member or pet. In spite of all this these children may not have grasped some true concepts about death. As an example, these children may not have understood that death as a condition is inevitable, permanent and happens to all things that live. Neither do they grasp the fact that death makes the body non-functional. At times some may even believe that the dead can still do usual activities like eating, sleeping and talking (only that they do them elsewhere like in the heavens or sky or down-under in the ground). Explaining to children at this age may make them no understand much because they may think that the situation is temporary or rather something that can never happen to them.
Children of preschool age react differently to death. The processing of death understanding and emotions for children is not a sudden process-they do it in bits and not in an instance. Their grief may be delayed up to a time when their understanding is ready to let it take over them. This process could take months or years if the death concerned a sibling or parent. Some children may go into tantrums or revert to baby talk especially if the death seems to affect their daily routine of living. Others may be oblivious to the situation and may continue being cheerful but for an occasional look of surprise about the mood of the adults around them. Other children may behave oddly by actions like playing dead. This should however, not be discouraged because it helps the work through their emotions.There are various proposed ways that adults can use in approaching children in trying to explain death to them. The most common is the use of a candid but carefully chosen conversation that will aid children in helping them to understand the phenomena of death. However, in this paper I will focus on the use of literary work in form of children’s books as a means to help them comprehend death in society and family.
The use of children’s books as a means to help them understand death
Books as a medium of explaining death to children help in fostering and provoking discussions about the topic of death between children and adults. Its no surprise that most grown ups have turned to the use of literature as a means to help children understand death. There is a wide range of books that can help children of different ages to understand death accordingly (Britton, 2008).The reading of books containing stories about characters undergoing bereavement after the loss of their loved ones helps children identify with such characters. As they simulate the emotions of these characters they get to understand what being in loss of a loved one could feel like. It gives them a feeling of not being alone and a sense of hope that they will overcome the loss by death. The basis of the use books in this effort is best supported by Vygotsky’s theory on learning (Keenan, 2002).
Vygotsky’s theory states that learning is passed in three ways. The first mode is via imitative learning (most common amongst children) whereby copying and implementing is the way of integrating the information obtained. Secondly, he states that learning can be by recalling instructions given by a teacher and implementing them in actions. His third proposition about learning states that learning can be achieved via collaboration. This mode of learning involves individuals of a similar age who can learn by participating in activities together while trying to understand what they are doing as well as learn about each other. Vygotsky’s theory clearly shows that social exposure increases a child’s knowledge and understanding of things through encounters and experience (Keenan, 2002). Thus as a child gains more experience his/her knowledge expands. Therefore, in a bid to help a child gain knowledge the adults in society should expose the child to information, tools and experiences that will enable them grow their knowledge. In our case that focuses on death as the subject to be learned the best this theory could be suggestive of is the use of books. This is because they present death in a milder and non-harsh way to the minors while teasing their curiosity and inquisition.
In order to utilize Vygotsky’s theory parents would be advised to expose their children to different situations of a certain subject they wish their children to learn. In the case of death this can best be done by the use of books in Vygotsky’s proposed methods of learning. Firstly, through the method of scaffolding instructors can show children about death through the use of books while offering explanations on content and answering questions. This should be gradually done so that children can absorb the content well. Secondly, they could do it through the method of reciprocal teaching, whereby; they will provide an open forum for discussions and question and answer sessions for the children to express what they have learned or would wish to learn. This enables them to be able to put these ideas forth to others (Keenan, 2002). Therefore, children’s books about death are the most suitable supplemental tool to word of mouth in explaining death to preschoolers. This is because they provoke their thinking and help them come up with questions that can guide an adult/parent on how to answer and direct their thoughts towards understanding. Additionally, these books do not present death in a grim manner but rather in a mild way that comes in form of stories. This prevents the mental torture that would arise if death was painted as one very sad picture-though indeed it is sad (Weir, 1980).
The artistic presentation of children’s literary works on death
More often than not literary work of this type uses pictures as an interesting way to capture the child’s attention. Most books meant to address the issue of death to children have a lot colorful pictorial illustrations because it is the easiest language that minors can easily grasp. These colorful pictures also draw the child’s attention to the book. The books’ authors often use fictional characters that are non-human like animals or trees, this serves to make the stories milder in emotions sense. For example in the ‘Badger’s Parting Gifts’ by Susan Varley-tells a story about the death of a badger and how his friends are saddened by the death. Thus, whilst helping the child understand death the story has avoided drawing a grim picture by using the death of a human being in the story. These stories are also presented from a relatively positive note by for example, referring to the good memories that make one nostalgic about missing the dead instead of focusing on the grief. This is exemplified by the story of ‘Grandpa’ by John Burningham. The story covers the fond memories of a young girl after she loses her grandfather. Though presented as stories these books subtly give information about death in a clear mild way to the children. However, not all books may serve different cultures because beliefs about death differ amongst cultural groups. Therefore, most books explain death in a certain culture’s context that may differ and confuse the understanding of death by children from other cultures. Thus culture should perhaps be a consideration in the choice of such books (they should present death as understood in the culture of the child; this avoids giving a confusing and conflicting view to the minors).
Conclusion
Conclusively, books are the best supplement to oral conversation in teaching preschool children about death. This is because they spur their thinking and inquisition to a higher level of understanding. They also present the subject of death through a mild approach appropriate fro preschoolers. However, the adults should always be available to provide guidance through the books and offer answers to questions.The books chosen should also befit the cultural background of the children that are meant to use them. This is meant to avoid cultural confusion because different cultures hold differing views on death and the after-life. However, the part about the after life should be avoided to prevent confusing minors because it holds information that may not be immediately clear to them.
References
Keenan, T. (2002). An Introduction to Child development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.
Weir, F.R. (1980). Death Literature. New York, NY: ColumbiaUniversity Press.
Britton, E. (2008). Explaining Death to Children: Books that help children to understand the loss of a loved one. Viewed on, http://childrensbooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/explaining_bereavement_to_children, on 7th May 2010.
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