Litteracitetsaktiviteter i skärningspunkten mellan lek och undervisning i förskola och förskoleklass

The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge in the development of literacy skills in early childhood. This takes place through a focus on situation-based communication and interaction in reading and writing activities in kindergartens and pre-school classes at the intersection of play and teaching. The study is based on the following research questions: (1) How do reading and writing activities take shape in kindergarten and pre-school classes, and what role does the TV-based teaching material play? (2) What is the significance of the way teachers stage and guide/support the reading and writing activities for children’s participation in these situations?

The reading and writing activities in both sub-studies took the form of teacher-led teaching situations. The TV medium played a role in modelling the play due to the fact that teachers planned their lessons based on copying the TV programme’s games. Therefore, the TV programme formed the framework for the teaching. This was also the case in teaching where teachers did not use the TV programme. The results of the study show that the TV medium itself did not make the activities meaningful for the children or contributed to their reading and writing development. Instead, it was the quality of what unfolded in the interaction that made the activities meaningful.

The teachers’ primary teaching strategy in both sub-studies used the TV programme as a framework for their teaching. The teachers’ way of involving all the children as participants in activities, and partly listening and responding to the children’s initiative in the interaction, was crucial for the children’s opportunities to participate in the activities and thus also to learn.

The study showed that reading and writing activities can be found where play and teaching intersect, both in kindergarten and in pre-school. The excitement in this study specifically revolves around how play forms a foundation for teaching activities so that children become involved in the play and at the same time understand the teaching content as meaningful.

The study consists of two sub-studies. The first was carried out at a kindergarten with children aged 3-5 years old. This consisted of five field visits, observations and video observations over one month. The second sub-study was conducted in a pre-school class with children aged 6-7 years old. In the second sub-study, six field visits, observations and video observations were carried out over a period of three months. Both sub-studies used the same data collection method and were carried out with a gap of a year and a half between the studies.

The sample of kindergarten and pre-school classes is based on strategic sampling where the institutions already used the relevant TV programme as learning material.

Botö, K. (2018). «Litteracitetsaktiviteter i skärningspunkten mellan lek och undervisning i förskola och förskoleklass» Akademisk avhandling. Göteborgs universitet.