An exploratory study of visual perception in relation to levels of meaning for children

Abstract

Young children often participate in reading picture books at home, public libraries, and preschools. Picture books provide children with meaning and an experience united in words and illustrations. Based on unobtrusive and participant observations in public libraries and preschools, this study employs surveys with parents and interviews with children in order to understand whether 3-to 5-year-old children find distinct levels of meaning in images of picture books, and factors that influence their visual perception. Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of the study is to explore a child's distinct levels of meaning and propose a topology of factors in relation to children, visual perception, and picture books and find correlations of related factors. Visual perception represents a crucial source of information for all human beings, because it organizes other human senses, and identifies and interprets data. Results of the study may contribute to further understanding of distinct information needs of young children and provide implications for visual information seeking and retrieval in a digital environment.This study centers on the difference between visual and verbal information and an association among visual perception, children, and picture books. Children's physical growth and developmental characteristics distinguish them from adults as a unique user group of information. Children's perception is an innate quality as well as part of their developmental abilities. Children's visual perception involves growing and learning through instructions. Children from three to five years old are a large audience of picture books and emergent readers who are perception bound and learn to conceptualize and

Semiotic Analysis of the Textbooks for Young Learners

“…Furthermore a problem gets bigger if the illustration includes the shape of numbers and letters which aren't the same as the shape pupils have learned in Math or Slovene language. According to Yu (2007) this things could distract them. On the other hand problems could occur when the same symbols have different meaning.…”

“…Children's visual perceptual ability differs from that of adults and also from teenagers because of their conceptual development. Markman claims that children have completely different way of categorizing objects from adults (Yu, 2007). Categorization is developed under different factors.…”

“…It is fascinating when you realize that semiotic aspects are developed according to the child's age. Viewing images and arriving at interpretations help to train children's cognitive skills as well as creative experience, such as using information (Yu, 2007).…”

“…In many ways, children prove that they group things together not because they are similar but because they achieve function. What is also important is that most children find joy in identifying objects, explaining concepts and retelling stories (Yu, 2007).…”

“…If a person is familiar with picture cues, he or she can accept this quickly without thinking about it. The way to interpret the picture cues derive from one's personal status, personal feelings or personal associations (Yu, 2007).…”