Introduction: The opening of the Agenda 2030 «We imagine the world...» prompts a reflection on how imagination is a strategic key in sustainability education and how eco-sustainable actions are influenced by the mental representation of the environment. Ecological transition requires, above all, a cultural transition capable of acting on ecological paradigms (i.e., the vision of the environment). In the sector literature, ecological competence encompasses not only vocabulary and knowledge (knowing) but also problem-solving (knowing how), environmental thoughts and feelings (knowing how to feel), and eco-sustainable attitudes (knowing how to act and live). The work presents an evidence-based research on the impact of daily shared reading training of eco-narratives for a period of 42 days. Methodology: The sample consists of a total of 150 children aged 4 and 5 from 4 sections of kindergarten (2 experimental and 2 control) and 2 Montessori children’s houses (1 experimental and 1 control) in two regions: Umbria and Puglia. The quasi-experimental research is based on requesting pre and post reading aloud drawings of nature and the socialization of drawings from children. Drawing data are analyzed using the triangulation method, while the narratives of children through Data Analyst feature of ChatGbt 4.0 are examined, highlighting nodes and categories. Results: The outcomes of graphic representations highlight the presence of humans in post-training drawings in the experimental groups, while no significant differences were observed in the control group. In the socialization of drawings in the post-phase, differences are evident between the two methods in the semantic-lexical area, which becomes more specific and precise in the Montessori children’s house. There is a greater increase in lexical diversity in the experimental groups. Conclusions and Discussions: The difference between the two methods lies in the proposed bibliography. In the Montessori method, eco-narratives with scientific vocabulary inspired by Montessori cosmic fables were used. It can be asserted that the inclusion of green readings promotes eco-literacy, and the choice of literature determines its impact in terms of quality. This research, albeit small in scale, opens a reflection on the criteria for selecting and constructing bibliographic diversity in children’s literature, consistent with Montessori’s philosophy of «giving the child the world.» At the same time, it demonstrates how green stories have the power to imagine and reposition the human being in the environment as an integral part of it.
ECO-LITERACY IN PRESCHOOL: AN EVIDENCE-BASED STUDY COMPARING THE MONTESSORI METHOD AND THE COMMON METHOD OF SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION USING ECO-FABLES
De Carlo Maria Ermelinda
Writing – Review & Editing
2025-01-01
Abstract
Introduction: The opening of the Agenda 2030 «We imagine the world...» prompts a reflection on how imagination is a strategic key in sustainability education and how eco-sustainable actions are influenced by the mental representation of the environment. Ecological transition requires, above all, a cultural transition capable of acting on ecological paradigms (i.e., the vision of the environment). In the sector literature, ecological competence encompasses not only vocabulary and knowledge (knowing) but also problem-solving (knowing how), environmental thoughts and feelings (knowing how to feel), and eco-sustainable attitudes (knowing how to act and live). The work presents an evidence-based research on the impact of daily shared reading training of eco-narratives for a period of 42 days. Methodology: The sample consists of a total of 150 children aged 4 and 5 from 4 sections of kindergarten (2 experimental and 2 control) and 2 Montessori children’s houses (1 experimental and 1 control) in two regions: Umbria and Puglia. The quasi-experimental research is based on requesting pre and post reading aloud drawings of nature and the socialization of drawings from children. Drawing data are analyzed using the triangulation method, while the narratives of children through Data Analyst feature of ChatGbt 4.0 are examined, highlighting nodes and categories. Results: The outcomes of graphic representations highlight the presence of humans in post-training drawings in the experimental groups, while no significant differences were observed in the control group. In the socialization of drawings in the post-phase, differences are evident between the two methods in the semantic-lexical area, which becomes more specific and precise in the Montessori children’s house. There is a greater increase in lexical diversity in the experimental groups. Conclusions and Discussions: The difference between the two methods lies in the proposed bibliography. In the Montessori method, eco-narratives with scientific vocabulary inspired by Montessori cosmic fables were used. It can be asserted that the inclusion of green readings promotes eco-literacy, and the choice of literature determines its impact in terms of quality. This research, albeit small in scale, opens a reflection on the criteria for selecting and constructing bibliographic diversity in children’s literature, consistent with Montessori’s philosophy of «giving the child the world.» At the same time, it demonstrates how green stories have the power to imagine and reposition the human being in the environment as an integral part of it.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
