Using cross-cultural picturebooks with young children to learn about values: a participative arts-based approach

Values education is an important part of learning across the globe. This research is a qualitative case study that examined shared reading of eight theme-identified picturebooks in an early years setting to determine young children’s understanding and discussion of values. The study used Australian and Chinese picturebooks to discuss children’s understanding of values. The paper examines children’s understanding through the lens of a value-based pedagogical practice to highlight the benefits of using picturebooks as the basis for a values discussion with young children. The results showed the children clearly demonstrated an understanding of the picturebooks’ characters and even their motivations for doing things. They were also able to talk about the picturebooks by making connections to their own lives. Implications for teachers are also shared, with a focus on supporting them to provide space for children to engage with picturebooks fron different cultural context to learn about values.