ECEC Teachers’ Reported Practices and Attitudes Toward Read-Alouds in Nordic Multilingual Classrooms

The study investigates kindergarten teachers’ reported practices and attitudes related to reading aloud in multilingual kindergartens in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The researchers study whether and how these practices vary based on the number of multilingual children in the kindergartens. The research questions are: 1) Do kindergarten teachers with many multilingual children in kindergarten differ from kindergarten teachers with fewer multilingual children in terms of the frequency of reading aloud? 2) Do they have different attitudes regarding the facilitation of reading aloud? 3) Do they differ in the use of dialogic reading styles? 4) Do the kindergarten teachers choose different books for multilingual children, and if so, what characterises their reasoning? The study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of reading aloud as a central part of early language development in a multilingual learning environment.

Most kindergarten teachers reported that they often read aloud, without major differences in frequency based on the children’s linguistic composition. However, kindergarten teachers with many multilingual children more often prioritised targeted reading and dialogic styles that involved the children’s active participation. Some kindergarten teachers preferred simpler texts for multilingual children, which may signal a view that these children require simpler content. The researchers behind the study believe the results support theories of scaffolding, but that the practice can also lead to different learning opportunities. The study highlights the need for inclusive methods that value children’s linguistic backgrounds.

The data consist of a survey about kindergarten teachers’ reported practice of reading aloud in multilingual kindergartens. The survey included questions about the frequency of reading aloud, the kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards reading aloud, as well as the choice of books for multilingual children. The participants were 170 kindergarten teachers from Finland, Norway and Sweden, all of whom had experience with multilingual children. The children who were read to were aged one to six years old.

Hofslundsengen, H., Magnusson, M., Norling, M., Tjäru, S., Hjetland, H. N., & Alatalo, T. (2023). ECEC Teachers’ Reported Practices and Attitudes Toward Read-Alouds in Nordic Multilingual Classrooms. Nordic Journal of Literacy Research, 9(2), 20–37.