Recent empirical studies underline the importance of early literacy experiences for literary development and hence educational success of (pre-) primary school children. In this regard, storytelling activities are particularly recommended for immigrant children. This recommendation illustrates the overwhelming didactic demand to facilitate bridging the gap between medial spoken language and conceptually written language for all of the children. Concepts and suggestions from various disciplines which stimulate ‘pretend reading’-situations with five-year-olds (Purcell-Gates 2001) or try to encourage pre-school children to dictate stories to an adult (Merklinger 2011) represent these efforts to attract children’s attention on the fundamental differences between spoken and written language at an early age already.

Moreover, empirical studies on narrative interaction document ‘genre-specific’ processes of narrative learning, resulting from the different oral support, which young children receive when presenting a past event or when telling a fantasy story. These processes will even influence the childrens’ genre-specific storytelling abilities in written language at primary school up to grade four (Becker 2005; Ohlhus 2005; Augst et al. 2007). Last, the current didactic discussion about children’s acquisition of ‘academic language’, the key to a successful school career, is predominantly focusing on the crucial overlapping of medial spoken and conceptually written language (Dehn 2010; Wieler 2011). 

In general, the positive impact of children’s literature on children’s storytelling abilities is undisputed within the German didactic discussion. In a similar way the positive influence of aesthetically highly ranged pictures is being agreed on. In contrast, much more doubts exist about an equally creative influence of images in the media, especially movies. On the one hand, it is argued against commercializing classic children’s literature by turning it into TV-series which fulfill nothing but expectations according to the ‘standard’, without any surprise or astonishment (Erlinger 2001). On the other hand, it is emphasized that working with visualized media-heroes alleviates the demanding process of writing on a cognitive (content) level, especially for very young writers (Weinhold 2005). This latter position draws attention to children living in families, where modern media dominate daily life to a much higher extend than written texts. Pointing in a similar direction, positions from didactics of visual literacy underline the stimulating potential of picture books; neglecting the usage of such books risks giving away essential educational opportunities, especially for children, who have difficulties acquiring reading-skills (Lieber/ Schnell 2008) and, as I would like to add, who have also difficulties in the acquisition of German as their second language.

Within this framework the presented study tackles the task of enhancing immigrant children's literacy acquisition in their second language (German) by employing a multilingual and multi-media based selection of aesthetically appealing children's picture books in the German classroom. Furthermore the children are encouraged to take these (bilingual) books and other media to their homes and to use them with their families. In this contribution only one aspect of this approach will be focused on.

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