Developing awareness of mind reflected in children's narrative writing

An investigation of narratives written by 135 children aged 9, 11 and 13 years reveals the steady development during middle childhood of children's ability to realize their understanding of mental events within the tradition of story writing. These developments are examined in relation to the representation of the inner world of characters, of expressive behaviour and of inferences about others. Narrative writing is seen as both a source of data for understanding the emergence into awareness of children's developing theories of mind and as a possible means for the development of such awareness.