Early childhood education has a role to play in addressing the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as outlined by UNESCO. These goals focus on the development of “more sustainable and resilient societies.” ESD at the early childhood level is sometimes referred to as early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) and is designed to support young children on their path to becoming environmentally responsive youth and adults. This paper discusses the use of children's literature as an integral component of a curricular model of ECEfS. This model -- referred to as CAPI (Children as Agents in Place-based Investigations) -- addresses the “pedagogical concepts and learning processes of importance in ECEfS.” The CAPI model is based on the idea that direct experiences in natural environments are the primary learning contexts for achieving the related curriculum goals. The model also presents children's literature as an invaluable resource for promoting the development of young children's environmental literacy.
Four themes considered to be of primary importance in ECEfS are discussed: appreciation for nature, care for nature, leading healthy lifestyles, and practicing sustainable living. Lists of children's literature related to each of these themes are included in the paper. Appreciation for nature focuses on “the development of awareness, enjoyment and wonder, and gratitude for the natural world.” Care for nature is described as “the actions and respect that the natural world requires to maintain healthy ecosystems for the mutual benefit of all.” Leading healthy lifestyles includes “the development of healthy eating and physical activity habits” and counters such health-related issues as “processed foods, screen watching, passive activity, and other health risks.” Practicing sustainable living focuses on knowledge and skills “related to gardening, reducing waste, reducing use of chemicals and toxic pollutants, and other activities that favor the conservation and restoration of the natural world.”
In offering guidelines on what to look for and what to avoid in choosing picture books, the authors emphasize the need to look for books “that affirm and underscore children's relationships with nature” and to avoid books that may provoke fear and despair. Carefully chosen picture books that focus on the beauty and wonder of nature can help young children develop an understanding and appreciation of the natural world which, in turn, provides a firm foundation for the development of environmentally responsive individuals and the establishment of a more sustainable society.
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