Description
This study investigates outcomes of pre-primary teachers encouraging children’s aesthetic and personal responses to literature while reading aloud. Play is a keystone in Early Childhood Education (Mosvold & Alvestad, 2011) and there is a strong connection between children’s imagination, aesthetics, play and learning (Lindqvist, 2003; Vygotsky, 2004). Children use play to explore books and literary worlds (Wells Rowe, 1998), but there are indications of teachers seldom connecting read-alouds to aesthetic approaches (Sipe, 2008; Øines, 2019). This study focuses on social and cultural practices of literacy, hence adopting a holistic-oriented perspective of literacy research (Snow, 2008). The action research study was conducted within an interpretivist paradigm and used video observations, reflection diaries and interviews to explore the experiences of five teachers and their groups during read-alouds where teachers promoted children's responses to and experiences of literature. Identities of teachers and children were confidential. Informed consent from teachers and parents was unconditional. Children who rejected research participation took part in the same activities off camera and off the record. Preliminary results show varied stances towards playful read-alouds. Some teachers linked children's increased activity to enhanced learning outcomes, whereas others worried about read-alouds becoming too messy. Most children quickly adopted a more active role, whereas some seemed unsure about the new practice and expressed that they preferred to quietly listen. The results indicate the importance of supporting teachers' awareness of their read-aloud practices as this enables them to consciously decide on how to best promote personal and aesthetic literary responses in their groups.| Period | 25 Aug 2025 → 28 Aug 2025 |
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| Event title | European Early Childhood Education Research Association |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Bratislava, SlovakiaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |