Support of language and communication in the ´Tambour situation´ in Swedish preschools

The aim of the study was to investigate the ways in which children’s language development can be supported by staff in Swedish kindergartens in the ‘Entrance hall situation’. The ‘Entrance hall situation’ is the area in the kindergarten where parents drop off their children and it is considered a transition between the private and the public spheres. The study investigates communication-friendly and language-friendly approaches from staff aimed at children in Swedish kindergartens in the ‘Entrance hall situation’.

Two research questions were asked: (1) In what ways has the language and communication support provided by kindergarten staff changed in the ‘Entrance hall situation’ before and after structured collegial discussions and reflections? (2) Are the physical language learning environment and the language learning interactions in the ‘Entrance hall situation’ different before and after structured collegial discussions and observations with an observation tool?

The study’s results indicate that language learning environments scored higher than language learning interactions. The employees play a significant role in the development of children’s language and language development, as well as an important role in the language environment that forms a foundation for the children in kindergarten. The study indicates that scaffolding can help children with language and language development in a kindergarten context. 

Observations of children between the ages of 1 and 5 were video recorded. The recordings were reviewed by the staff with focus placed on the language practice used in the situations and analysed with the help of an observation tool that identified the support given to the children’s language use and how it can be further developed. After six weeks, new video observations were made that were compared to the first recordings. The study has a mixed-methods research design, where derived data from video observations were supplemented with qualitative descriptions from kindergarten staff. The observations of language learning environment and interactions took place in the entrance halls of nine kindergartens.

Nordberg, A. (2019). “Support of language and communication in the ´Tambour situation´ in Swedish preschools." Early Child Development and Care, 191(5):699-712.