Purpose
The study investigates different conditions for children’s language and reading development in a sample of Swedish kindergartens. The research focuses on how the quality of kindergartens can affect children’s opportunities regarding language learning and development. The study uses Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to highlight the conditions for children’s language and reading development in kindergarten. The research question is: What is the variation in quality related to the conditions for children’s language and reading development in kindergarten, and how is this expressed in the kindergarten’s teaching activities, as measured by ECERS-3?
Result
The study found significant differences in the quality of the 153 kindergartens, which provide children with varying conditions for language and reading development. The study found that elements related to oral language development, such as helping children expand their vocabulary and encouraging them to use language, scored higher than elements related to written language development, such as the use of books with children.
Design
The study sample consists of 153 Swedish kindergartens with children aged 1 to 5 years. The study uses the ‘Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale’ (ECERS-3) to evaluate the quality of the kindergartens. To investigate the variations in quality between kindergartens, and how this is expressed in relation to teaching activities, correlation analyses were carried out.
References
Nasiopoulou, P., Mellgren, E., Sheridan, S., & Williams, P. (2023). Conditions for children’s language and literacy learning in swedish preschools: Exploring quality variations with ECERS-3. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(7), 1305–1316.
Online year: 2022
Issue year: 2023
Review year: 2022
Financed by
University of Gothenburg, Sweden