The representation of mental states in young children’s writings: the role of early narratives in supporting theory of mind

Learning to write is a complex process involving linguistic, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors. However, from a developmental perspective, little research has explored the content of young children’s writings regarding specific cognitive skills, such as the Theory of Mind (TOM). This study explores how young children’s writing may foster representations of inner life, their own and others, through the characters created and an awareness of the reader’s perspective. The results indicate that while tackling the complexity of word and sentence composition, significant cognitive resources are allocated to the content of the stories, the characters’ experiences and the reader’s understanding of the plots created. The findings offer important implications for supporting children’s TOM through early fiction writing and highlight the importance of naturalistic data in uncovering young children’s growing insights about others’ thoughts and emotions.