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Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in...
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Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3310

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alyson Simpson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Interests: teacher education and professional learning; english and literacy; children’s literature; elearning; visual literacy; blended learning; discourse analysis; pedagogy; learning sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Deb Brosseuk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Interests: language; literacy and literature; reading and writing; pedagogies for text production; teachers’ pedagogic identity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a call for papers for a Special Issue concerning "Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children's Literature in Initial Teacher Education." Past research has demonstrated the impact that extensive engagement with literature can have on children's reading and writing (Jerrim and Moss, 2019; Simpson and Cremin 2022). Research has also demonstrated that initial teacher education is the context in which pre-service teachers shape their literate identities as reading and writing teachers (Farrar and Simpson, 2023; Hikeda et al, 2019; Simpson and Cremin 2022). This Issue encourages the further exploration of theoretical and practical approaches showing how learning through children’s literature can inspire a love for reading and writing and the knowledge and skills that are needed to teach it.

We are seeking to publish theoretically grounded, empirical studies that exemplify how children's literature can effectively engage pre-service teachers in pedagogic experiences that will improve their future reading and writing instruction. Authors are encouraged to provide insights into how curriculum design and pedagogical strategies impact on pre-service teacher and student outcomes. Submissions should reflect a social-cultural approach to learning, emphasising the role of children's literature in creating meaningful and engaging reading and writing experiences.

We invite submissions from researchers representing international perspectives, showcasing diverse initial teacher education contexts and practices.

Prof. Dr. Alyson Simpson
Dr. Deb Brosseuk
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • children's literature
  • reading for pleasure
  • reading
  • writing
  • teacher education
  • engagement
  • pedagogy
  • literate identity
  • literacy

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 286 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Role Children’s Literature Plays in Preservice Teachers’ Curriculum-Making Capabilities: Designing Meaningful Lesson Sequences to Teach Writing
by Phillip Poulton and Deb Brosseuk
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050549 (registering DOI) - 29 Apr 2025
Viewed by 36
Abstract
This study, conducted at a large metropolitan university in NSW, Australia, explores how children’s literature supports fourth-year preservice teachers’ (PSTs) curriculum-making capabilities in designing meaningful writing instruction. At a classroom level, curriculum-making involves the translation of curriculum into meaningful lesson sequences and is [...] Read more.
This study, conducted at a large metropolitan university in NSW, Australia, explores how children’s literature supports fourth-year preservice teachers’ (PSTs) curriculum-making capabilities in designing meaningful writing instruction. At a classroom level, curriculum-making involves the translation of curriculum into meaningful lesson sequences and is grounded in the interactions between the teacher, students, and content. Declining student engagement in writing and an increased emphasis on the teaching of isolated, mechanical skills are prevalent among English curricula in many countries. Thus, it is crucial to foster preservice teachers’ abilities to create and design engaging and purposeful writing experiences that motivate and inspire their students as writers. Through a qualitative data analysis of four PSTs’ reflections on completing a lesson sequencing assessment task, our findings reveal that children’s literature serves as a central driver supporting an interplay between their teacher choices, their understanding of student experience, and their awareness of the educational significance of the content and skills being taught. Using mentor texts, PSTs demonstrated strategic and fit-for-purpose pedagogical decisions that were aligned with students’ writing needs and saw consideration given to less segmented and decontextualised forms of writing instruction. This engagement enhanced PST’s understanding of and confidence in working as curriculum-makers who strive for more holistic approaches to writing instruction in their future classrooms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education)
21 pages, 3323 KiB  
Article
‘You Really Have to Get in There and Actually Figure It Out’: Engaging Pre-Service Teachers in Children’s Literature Through Transmodality
by Jill Colton and Sarah Forrest
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 496; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040496 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Transmodality—the process of transforming a text or section of a text into another mode or modes—enables readers to engage deeply and imaginatively with literature through interpretation and response. It is a valuable pedagogical approach in initial teacher education, where pre-service teachers are developing [...] Read more.
Transmodality—the process of transforming a text or section of a text into another mode or modes—enables readers to engage deeply and imaginatively with literature through interpretation and response. It is a valuable pedagogical approach in initial teacher education, where pre-service teachers are developing dispositions towards reading and cultivating knowledge of literature. In this article, two case studies are presented of undergraduate and post-graduate courses that aimed to engage pre-service teachers with children’s literature by asking them to respond to texts through embodied and multimodal modes. The work is underpinned by theories that highlight the role of semiotic modes in reading and writing, with a focus on the gestural, spatial, and auditory modes. The first case study examines the ways in which gesture and space worked to create multimodal ensembles that communicate and make meaning. The second case study considers pre-service teachers engaged in transferring meaning across linguistic and aural modes as they read a classic literary text and composed a soundscape. In both cases, we consider how mode-switching developed and demonstrated pre-service teachers’ aesthetic, cognitive, and affective engagement as part of their embodied experience with literary texts. This research has implications for the way teachers and teacher educators can inspire engagement with children’s literature through embodied and multimodal ways in English curriculum contexts and initial English teacher education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education)
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17 pages, 3222 KiB  
Article
Teaching Justice-Oriented Picturebooks Through Collaborative Discussion and ‘Slow Looking’: Implications for Initial Teacher Education Settings
by Angie Zapata, Sarah Reid and Mary Adu-Gyamfi
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040447 - 2 Apr 2025
Viewed by 306
Abstract
Picturebooks have a long history as literature for literacy learning in initial teacher education (ITE) settings. Yet, the practice of “using” picturebooks solely to teach isolated skills becomes more alarming as pre-service teachers encounter classroom picturebook instruction that features diverse racial, linguistic, or [...] Read more.
Picturebooks have a long history as literature for literacy learning in initial teacher education (ITE) settings. Yet, the practice of “using” picturebooks solely to teach isolated skills becomes more alarming as pre-service teachers encounter classroom picturebook instruction that features diverse racial, linguistic, or ethnic communities as “plugged” into scripted curriculum without opportunities for students to respond to the socio-cultural portrayals encountered. Guidance for ITE programs is needed to ensure that the aesthetic and sociopolitical features of picturebooks are not only considered but deeply taught to pre-service teachers. Drawing from a qualitative analysis of a fifth-grade reader engaging with a picturebook featuring a character with a similar phenotype across ten days, an inductive and iterative process of data analysis identified salient moments of collaborative discussions and the ‘slow looking’ approaches she used to interact with justice-oriented picturebooks. Our findings highlight the visual, material, and multimodal ways these texts serve as mentor resources for writing and drawing, while also acting as identity-affirming texts. To conclude, we offer essential implications for ITE settings, instructors, and their students by unpacking the significance of instruction that matters most for supporting pre-service teachers as curators of justice-oriented picturebooks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education)
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19 pages, 267 KiB  
Article
Teacher Candidates’ Use of Inclusive Children’s Literature in Interactive Read-Alouds: Successes, Challenges and Implications
by Francesca Pomerantz
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020245 - 16 Feb 2025
Viewed by 736
Abstract
Book banning and laws against discussing so-called “divisive concepts” in the United States are limiting what is read to children in schools, even in places without specific legislation. Books by Black and LGBTQIA+ authors and/or about Black or LGBTQIA+ characters are specific targets [...] Read more.
Book banning and laws against discussing so-called “divisive concepts” in the United States are limiting what is read to children in schools, even in places without specific legislation. Books by Black and LGBTQIA+ authors and/or about Black or LGBTQIA+ characters are specific targets of the book banning and censorship efforts. The research reported in this article used a case study approach to explore two teacher candidates’ responses to inclusive children’s picture books and their discussions of the books with students in their classrooms during their practicum. The results indicated that the teacher candidates strongly believed in the value of sharing inclusive children’s literature and effectively utilized open-ended questions to spark critical thinking. However, they found it challenging to follow their students’ leads and build on comments in ways that could have resulted in deeper thinking and understanding. More practice, feedback and reflective opportunities are needed during teacher preparation in actual classrooms to improve teacher candidates’ abilities to conduct interactive read-alouds about topics that feel risky. The findings also highlight the need for schools and mentor teachers to model discussions about inclusive children’s books. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education)
22 pages, 3389 KiB  
Article
“You Learn So Much from Reading for Pleasure”: Exploring a Reading for Pleasure Pedagogy Impact on Pre-Service Teachers’ Literate Identities
by Katherine Price and Alyson Simpson
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010007 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 948
Abstract
Proficiency in literacy provides an essential foundation for citizens to participate fully and effectively in society. Research highlights a strong correlation between frequent reading and strong literacy outcomes for students and emphasises the benefits of a Reading for Pleasure (RfP) pedagogy on student [...] Read more.
Proficiency in literacy provides an essential foundation for citizens to participate fully and effectively in society. Research highlights a strong correlation between frequent reading and strong literacy outcomes for students and emphasises the benefits of a Reading for Pleasure (RfP) pedagogy on student reading motivation and attainment. As teachers are responsible for students’ literate development, the ability to teach literacy and the development of a literate identity thus form integral components of initial teacher education. There are studies revealing the important connection between teachers’ literate identities and their students’ reading engagement and literacy outcomes; however, less is known about the formation of pre-service teachers’ literate identities. This case study sought to investigate the impact of pre-service teacher engagement with Reading for Pleasure practices as they reflected on their literate identities. During the study, four student teachers in their final year of a Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree in an urban university in NSW, Australia, met weekly for six weeks to engage with Reading for Pleasure practices. Data were collected through participant observation notes, focus group discussions, and a questionnaire completed at the start and the end of the study. This study was informed with a consideration of complexity theory, and an analysis was made of participant’s reflections on RfP, as expressed through the intersecting systems within which initial teacher education is situated. Framed by the understanding that knowledge is socially constructed, this paper outlines how participants found benefit in Reading for Pleasure in forming their literate identities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inspiring Engagement through Reading and Writing with Children’s Literature in Initial Teacher Education)
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