Share Paper: Empowering Children through Reading Parodies in the Early Childhood Classroom

  1. Beverly Boals Gilbert, Arkansas State University, United States
  2. Su-Jeong Wee, Purdue University Northwest, United States
  3. Kyoung Jin Kim, Wheelock College, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract: Exposing children to all varieties of literature is considered to be of great importance (Crippen, 2012) because they deepen and broaden children’s experiences and knowledge and help to consider and respect different viewpoints (Norton & Norton, 2010; Thibault, 2004). Contrary to traditional fairy/folk tales that usually convey strict lessons and morals, parody transforms and expands original stories, offering opportunities to revisit and rethink previously held notions (Bouslough, 2014; Lee, 2014). Furthermore, parodies can lead to children’s diversified and expanded responses through critical examination of different perspectives and intentions of the writers of original and parody stories (Bouslough, 2014; Jeon & ...