Re-reading of Children's Tales Based on Schema Component in Cognitive Theory

Children''s tales are generally simple and understandable in form and narrative but rich and full of emotional-cognitive aspects and interpretive potential in the deep-structure. Though، such stories communicate easily (through form، narrative and language) with the reader، they contain a widespread network of concepts، models and cognitive schemas hidden within their complex structure. The indirect language of tales addresses the unconscious of children and prepares them to deal with the real and possible worlds by identifying and changing the negative cognitive or maladaptive schemas in order to replace them with positive and therapeutic ones. Effects of stories on children''s growth are highly complex due to the use of metaphors، schemas and preparation of growth processes. Storytelling indirectly makes children aware of obstacles and contradictions as well as their own talents and capabilities thus making them able to think and search. Schema is of high importance in interdisciplinary studies and cognitive sciences. Schemas are a type of organized experience and classified knowledge that create our cognitive framework as a set of thoughts، imaginations، feelings and values. Schema therapy believes that negative thoughts and behavior patterns are associated with adverse childhood experiences. If these patterns، maladaptive schemas، are not well understood confronting them is useless. In this paper some famous children''s tales are analyzed based on schema theory and two basic solutions، changing negative and maladaptive schemas، and positive and therapist interpretations، are discussed.