Read-aloud as justice and social practice? ECEC teachers´ reported views on read-aloud in Nordic multilingual classrooms
2023 (English) In: 31st EECERA ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Children’s Curiosity, Agency and Participation: Challenges for Professional Action and Development, Cascais near Lisbon, Portugal, 30th August – 2nd September 2023: CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS: Book of Abstracts, 2023, no 2, p. 128-128Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
The aim of this research was to investigate the views on read-aloud among teachers with multilingual children in their classrooms in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Several systematic reviews have shown that reading aloud can be beneficial for second-language learning, including both explicit and implicit word learning (Fitton et al., 2018; Hur et al. 2020; Larson et al., 2020). Hence, teachers have a central role in planning and scaffolding read-aloud activities in preschool. Based on Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, learning happens in the context of interaction and communication between children and adults. Language is thus seen as a cultural tool and a link to action. In this mixed-method study, 170 teachers answered a survey about their literacy practices. Data on literacy practices were analyzed quantitatively, and reasons for read-aloud approaches were qualitatively analyzed. No information that could identify the respondents or sensitive data was collected. According to the local ethics committee at one author’s university, no further ethical review was required. Reported read-aloud practices and attitudes among teachers did not differ based on the number of multilingual children in their classrooms. However, 38% of the teachers selected a simpler book when reading with multilingual children. The reasons for this included a different reading style and a view of multilingual children as needing simpler books with illustrations. Preschool teachers are mediators of the majority language, and are expected to emphasize multilingualism. Therefore, they need to reflect on their schaffolding of read-alouds in everyday practice to ensure equal education.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages 2023. no 2, p. 128-128
Keywords [en]
shared book reading, multilingual children, monolingual norm, literacy practices, second-language learning
National Category
Pedagogy
Research subject Pedagogics and Educational Sciences, Education
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-124753 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-124753 DiVA, id: diva2:1798646
Conference 31st EECERA Annual Conference Conference: "Children’s Curiosity, Agency and Participation: Challenges for Professional Action and Development", Cascais near Lisbon, Portugal, August 30-September 2, 2023
2023-09-192023-09-192023-09-19 Bibliographically approved