“And the boat started to roll like this”: preschool children struggling with a bodily-based illustration of stability

Abstract

This article is based on multimodal perspectives and contributes to research on how children deal with a multimodal illustration of scientific concepts used in emergent science (i.e., early years science) education. It presents a study of a group of 14 preschoolers observed when dealing with the concept of stability, as illustrated in a pedagogical drama during a visit to a science centre and follow-up sessions in the preschool. The results indicate the importance of educators paying attention to the balance between cohesion and tension among elements in multimodal illustrations (such as verbal language, images, gestures, etc.), when designing and presenting learning activities in emergent science education. Furthermore, it cannot be taken for granted that children by themselves are able to bridge gaps between modes. Educators should therefore be prepared to provide well-reasoned guidance for children’s linking between everyday and scientific concepts.