Sju barn lär sig läsa och skriva: Familjeliv och populärkultur i möte med förskola och skola.

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the social and cultural practices involved in how seven children develop the ability to read and write at their homes. It also identifies the informal and everyday situations in which children practice reading and writing on their own. Finally, it examines transitions between home, daycare centre, pre-school class and the school introductory period in order to determine to which extent and in which ways children make use of their previous experience and knowledge about reading and writing.

The study concludes among other things that the children practice reading and writing early through their social relations in everyday life. The children also encounter reading and writing through popular culture and the media, and they practice these skills in their interaction with other children. However, in their encounter with the school, their previous experience is not appreciated. This mismatch between experience with reading and writing in and out of school can lead to alienation with regard to reading and writing.

The study is an ethnographic study of seven children from different social and cultural backgrounds. The children were observed from the ages of four and three years onwards.

Fast, C. (2007). Sju barn lär sig läsa och skriva: Familjeliv och populärkultur i möte med förskola och skola. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis.