Voice to the children! Writing, reading and “feeling” through the Kamishibai

Abstract

The paper aims to present an experience of writing, reading and expression through the art of Kamishibai, carried out at Dante Alighieri primary school - Istituto Comprensivo Annalena Tonelli of Forlì, within the New Abc project - University of Bologna. Reading was first considered as time of imagination and sharing, then as act of giving space, body and voice. Questions arise: to whom? to what? how? why? Reading through Kamishibai has been taken for the emotional literacy, including the literacy to imaginative thinking and to expressive potentials, which can find its fulfillment. Here, reading is giving voice to oneself and others, engaging the awareness for a working method designed in voices tuning: valuing listening and dialogue, aimed at discovering and releasing imagination and desire for creativity. The need to know how to listen, and be heard, is at the core. Kamishibai links the narrative to the imaginative-expressive dimension, engages the exercise of logical and creative thinking, the ability to figure and build sequences, the ability to represent through the sign of writing and through the graphic sign, in its descriptive and evocative potential. Then comes the narrative voice which gives body and helps the story to emerge in its concrete if imagined structure Spoken word carries emotional tones expressible and interpretable through the voice. Last, but not least, is the gesture which also speaks; in this case reading is giving voice to the gesture, to get in touch with oneself and the listener weaving plots of human relationship, where communication and sharing begin.