Contando cuentos: un estudio sobre los efectos de la estructura de los cuentos en la identificación de la idea principal

Resumen

Este trabajo presenta un estudio sobre cómo y cuándo los esquemas entran a formar parte de los procesos de comprensión y en qué medida éstos ayudan a la identificación de las ideas principales, observando su evolución desde los 5 a los 10;3 años de edad. Para ello se llevaron a cabo dos análisis diferentes (tipo de categoría recordada y tipo de proposición recordada) de acuerdo con la Gramática de Cuentos de Thorndyke (1977). Nuestros resultados mostraron que los niños de Preescolar y de 3° de EGB son capaces de generar cuentos que se ajustan a la gramática prototípica aunque su esquema es bastante pobre, no identificando la idea principal presente en los mismos. Será alrededor de los 10 años cuando se produzca un claro progreso en la elaboración de la gramática de cuentos como representación conceptual de un cuento como forma de discurso (se recuerdan proposiciones pertenecientes a la Categoría Tema, al tiempo que se incluyen metas, estados e intenciones de los personajes). Lo cual nos da idea de que la identificación de las ideas principales no parece depender tanto del esquema de cuentos como del uso de macrorreglas.

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for studying the structural recall and abilities to identify the main ideas in a text by three groups of children (mean age: 5;4, 8;2, and 10;3 years). Two separate analyses were performed on the narratives (type of category and type of proposition recalled) according to the story grammar (Thorndyke, 1977). Our results showed that preschool and third grade children were quite capable of generating stories following a prototypical story grammar, but their story schemata were quite poor, as they do not yet identify the main ideas. Around the age of 10 years, there is a clear progression in the elaboration of a story grammar as a conceptual representation of a story and in turn as a form of discourse. Subjects recalled main ideas and told goal-based stories, including internal states and endings evaluating the main character's actions. Thus, identifying main ideas does not seem to depend on schemata, but to be linked to the use of macrorules.

Extended Summary

The results of this study are focused on several important developments in children's story telling skills (structural recall and the ability to identify main ideas). Three groups of children were used as subjects: preschoolers (mean age: 5;4 years), 3rd graders (mean age: 8;2 years), and 5th graders (mean age: 10;3 years). Two separate analyses were performed on the narratives' (type of category recalled and type of proposition recalled) according to the story grammar (Thorndyke, 1977).

When stories were examined for features that corresponded to Thorndyke's story definitions, older children's stories (10 years old) were more elaborate than younger children's narratives (5 to 8 years-old).

In particular, our results showed that preschool and third grade children were quite capable of generating stories according to prototipical story grammar, but their story schemata did not guide the identification of the main ideas. Around 10 years of age, there is a clear progression of story grammar elaboration that occurs in the conceptual representation of a story as a form of discourse. These children recalled the main ideas and told goal-based stories, including internal states and endings evaluating the main character's actions in the story. Because older children included more obstacles, the episodes in their stories were more lightly connected. Besides, they recalled main ideas, making clear distintions between the different story categories, including the Theme Category. Thus, there is a clear progression of elaboration that occurs in the conceptual representation of a story as a form of discourse. This representation is distintly separate from 5 to 8 year old children's ability to recall the principal ideas. They did not use the narrative schemata to explore internal state, motivations and thinking of story characters.

Thus, the identification of principal ideas does not seem to depend on schemata. It seems be attached to the use of macrorules.

Palabras clave:

• Comprensión lectora
• gramática de cuentos
• ideas principales

Keywords:

• Reading comprehension
• story grammar
• main ideas