When select scientific picture books to read to children and read them to children, it provides an opportunity for those children to develop an interest in the world around them and nurtures their budding interest in science. This study clarifies the criteria for selecting picture books to read to children and examines methods for incorporating scientific education into childcare and reading aloud. The results of questionnaire survey of students majoring in childcare showed that 78.9% of the respondents selected “age of the child” and 68.4% selected “season” as their picture book selection criteria, confirming previous research. However, none of the students selected “scientific picture books”. To demonstrate a method of incorporating scientific picture books into childcare, the author conducted a practice childcare exercise with students called “Making Teaching Materials for playing with Magnets.” This exercise incorporated an activity in which students read a scientific picture book and examined related books for comparison. In a post-activity questionnaire survey, all the students indicated an increased interest in reading scientific picture books and conducting “science play” with children. The exercise of incorporating science picture books into childcare situation therefore also influenced the students’ own interest in science and promoting scientific education. The study demonstrated that by linking “science play” and scientific picture books, students were more likely to choose scientific picture books for reading aloud. To foster early science education for children, it is therefore important for future childcare professionals to themselves become acquainted with “science play” and related scientific picture books.

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[in Japanese]

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Currently, various magazines for childcare workers are published, and their teaching plans and articles are referred to and used at childcare sites and training schools. In addition, seminars for childcare workers are held annually in various locations by the publishing companies that publish them, which play a part in improving the qualifications of childcare workers and the quality of childcare. However, there were many childcare and education-related magazines before the war as well. The author focuses on the magazine “ Hoiku ” published by the All Japan Childcare Union (within the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun Social Welfare Foundation), which has received little previous research, and traces the content of seminars for childcare workers (including seminars for mothers) that were hosted or supported by the union, in order to clarify the impact it had on the childcare world at the time. This time, research covering the period from 1938 (Showa 13) to 1944 (Showa 19) has made it clear that even during difficult times such as 1943 (Showa 18), when air raids on the mainland were feared, and 1944 (Showa 19), when full-scale air raids on the mainland actually began, seminars for childcare workers (including mothers) were held and had a certain number of participants.

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