The effect of folktales on children’s development in the early years: a perception study of parents & teachers

Abstract

During the kindergarten stage, folktales can play a critical role in fostering children’s socio-emotional and language development as well as build children’s imagination. Folktales contain valuable morals and philosophies and foster important language skills in children. They are also deeply rooted in the community and play an integral role in shaping children’s cultural identity. In the 21st century, storytelling and folktales is becoming obscure in Bangladesh. This study was conducted to identify parents & teachers’ perceptions regarding the effect of folktales on children’s socio-emotional & language development, current storytelling practices Bangladesh, and the relevancy of folktales as cultural artefacts. Findings show that both groups believe that age-appropriate, child-friendly folktales can foster children’s moral development, social skills and language; they are also as well as important for children’s cultural identity. Findings show that folktales are disappearing in urban Dhaka due to easy access to digital entertainment for children, changing family structures and low parent-child-family interactions. To preserve the heritage of folktales, parents and teachers suggest creating a suitable environment for storytelling, increased interaction between caregivers & children for story time, suggestions to incorporate more folktales into the school curricula, and introduce folktales to children, through modern technology.