NT Reporter
Margao
Children’s literature plays a vital role in children’s cognitive, intellectual and emotional development and must go beyond basic reading and writing skills, teaching specialist Dr Narayan Desai said at the two-day Bal Sahitya Parishad held at Ravindra Bhavan.
Addressing a session on the role of children’s literature in education, Desai said the traditional notion of education needs to be re-examined. “Today we still have the notion that education is about being able to read and write. But we need to question this idea. Literature isn’t just about using words, but it is something that should help aid in education. And we need to think of it from the aspect of children’s literature,” he said.
He said children’s literature is necessary for cognition and intellectual development,
empathy and emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness and diversity. “Today emotional literacy has reduced and is something we need to improve,” he said.
The parishad, organised by the Konkani Bhasha Mandal in collaboration with the Directorate of Official Language and Goa SCERT, featured discussions on contemporary issues in children’s literature, its role in education, and the illustration process and its importance.
Education expert Dr Sunita Mishra said multilingualism enhances understanding and cultural awareness.
“Multilingualism gives a lot of space to understand the wide range of variation. It creates awareness of different languages and cultures and helps to contextualise the story or a topic,” she said.
She said that while children’s literature is important, the way it is narrated and treated plays a significant role in learning. “When telling the story use voice modulation and the manner in which it is presented,” she said.
Author Aarty Muthanna Singh said a book chosen by a child should combine empathy, humour, information and art. She said folk tales remain relevant in education and said her work includes educational books on insects, birds, famous people and monuments presented in an engaging manner.
On illustration, illustrators Indrapramit Roy and Chandramohan Kulkarni spoke about techniques and opportunities in the field.
“There are talented people in Goa who invest their time and talent for this kind of illustration work. It’s really a question of finding passion. You must know what you are doing, must have interest and must have the passion to do it. If these things come together there is no big illustrator or small illustrator,” Roy said.
