The Effectiveness of Interrogative and Imperative Styles in Developing Child Thinking Skills

("Kalima" Project Stories in Abu Dhabi as a Model)

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the pedagogical impact of interrogative and imperative styles in the "Kalima" project stories in Abu Dhabi, targeting middle childhood. It seeks to elucidate their role in developing children's thinking skills. To achieve this, the study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. A purposive sample of ten stories from the project’s publications was analyzed, with a focus on two case studies: My Grandmother's Cellar and Hessa, Friend of Diabetes, to deconstruct the mechanisms of linguistic styles within the narrative context.

The study concludes that the interrogative style is notably more prevalent than the imperative style. This indicates that the "Kalima" project adopts a pedagogical philosophy that transcends traditional didacticism, fostering instead intellectual curiosity and inquiry-based thinking. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis reveals that imperative styles are no longer employed as authoritative tools, but rather as reasoning-based guidance mechanisms that enhance adaptive thinking and self-regulation in children.

Based on these findings, the research recommends promoting "open-ended questioning" strategies in children's literature and developing pedagogical guides for educators to effectively utilize linguistic structures in stimulating critical discourse. The study also suggests conducting future research on the impact of declarative styles—such as simile and metaphor—on the development of scientific imagination, as well as comparing translated and local literature regarding the strategies of cognitive development in young learners.