Preschool teachers’ perceptions about read-alouds as a means to support children’s early literacy and language development

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate Swedish kindergarten teachers’ thoughts and perceptions in relation to reading aloud as a tool for supporting children’s language and reading skills. More specifically, the authors ask the following questions: How and with what purpose do kindergarten teachers say that they organize reading aloud in kindergarten?

With regard to the research question of how and with what purpose the kindergarten teachers say that they organise reading aloud in kindergartens, the study shows that the kindergarten teachers try to organise reading aloud, but they do not always succeed due to logistical and practical challenges. The kindergarten teachers describe that external factors such as large groups and subject teaching requirements place restrictions on both planning and carrying out reading aloud in kindergartens.

From an ethnographic perspective, the authors analyse three focus group interviews with a sample of five kindergarten teachers from different kindergartens. The focus group interviews dealt with the kindergarten teachers’ reflections based on film sequences showing reading aloud activities with children aged 3-4 years.

Alatalo, T. & Westlund, B. (2019). "Preschool teachers’ perceptions about read-alouds as a means to support children’s early literacy and language development". Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 0(0):1-23.