The Effect of Story Book Reading Based of Cultural Experience on Creativity and Self-concept of Young Children

The objective of this study was to identify that the story book reading is effective in improving creativity and self-concept of young children while having a cultural experience (i.e. having an indirect experience of the culture in Denmark where provides a background of story books). Therefore, subjects of the study were selected in order to find whether story book reading based on the cultural experience is effective in developing creativity and self-concept of young children, and verified through tests. 4-year old children of two classes from daycare centers in S city, Gyeonggi-do participated in the tests as study participants. The participants were randomly assigned to two different groups: experimental group and control group. For those in the experimental group, 5 story books were first selected and participants were allowed to experience the culture in the stories as the preliminary activity and then to read story books as the secondary activity. Those in the control group had storytelling activity using the same story books. During 10 sessions for 5 weeks(Oct. 1, 2018 to Oct. 30, 2018), the experimentations were performed. After completion of tests, t-test scores were statistically analyzed using SPSS 24.0 program. Pre and post test were conducted using K-ICT(Korean-Integrative Creativity Test) for young children(Lee Kyunghwa, 2014) and SCI-II(Self-Concept Inventory-II) for young children(Lee Kyunghwa, Koh Jinyoung, 2017). The result of this study showed that story book reading based on the cultural experience was effective in developing creativity and self-concept of young children. It is inferred that an indirect experience on the culture relating to the subject before young children read a story book helped young children enhance their internal motive, interest, curiosity, obsession with tasks and more, and that they had positive interactions with the characters through situations they go through in the stories, thereby leading young children to improve their creativity (creative ability, creative personality) and bring positive changes to their self-concept. Likewise, if applying story book reading based on the cultural experience, it will be effective in improving creativity and self-concept of young children.