Promoting reading 1
To summarise, to the extent that the observations
above can be seen as representative, we are presented with a rather gloomy picture of the reading of literature in preschools. As was found, how reading is being taught in Swedish compulsory school, according to a report from the Swedish Agency for Education, is diametrically opposed to what many researchers have identified as the most important factors for motivating children to read. The observations from the study Litteraturläsning i förskolan (Reading literature in the preschool) could also be lined up against the research’s emphasis on relevance, access, time, choice, and opportunities for interaction. What, then, are the reading promotion methods proposed by the authors to improve the situation? The methods that the authors advocate include a variant of reading aloud that consists of a dialogue between the children and/or between the children and the teacher before, after and during the reading. This method means that the teacher reads with, rather than to, the children; that the children are actively engaged in the reading. Another method advocated by the authors consists dramatizing the literature, so as to become more engaged in the story. Reading and writing in the preschool is regarded as a social practice that entails processing and generating meaning out of what has been read together, during and after the reading, within the framework of an overall thematic content. According to the authors, the literature used in preschools ought to “qualify as thematic content”, that is, the selection of literature should be guided by the theme chosen to work with and the link between the literature and the theme ought to be strong. It could well be added that the way in which the literature is used in the preschool also provides a picture of how reading is valued, and the importance attached to reading. In a later study, Damber & Nilsson (2015) point out that “[a]ctive reading, rather than passive quiet-time reading, also gives children the insight that reading is an important activity, not just something you do to fall asleep”. The study Litteraturläsning i förskolan (Reading literature in the preschool) also points to the relationship between access to books and an increased interest in reading; how interest in books increased markedly among the children during visits by a book bus. However, many preschools in the country do not have access to either a book bus or a nearby library. The authors therefore recommend that access to a library for preschools should be regulated in the same way as for schools. The following gives some examples of reading promotion activities where there is collaboration between libraries and preschools. Preschools with a literary profile An activity that goes beyond the more traditional methods are preschools with a literary profile. Since 2005 in the municipality of Mölndal, there has been a push towards greater collaboration between preschools, family day-care providers and libraries –a collaboration that currently embraces seven preschools and a group of seven family day-care providers. The preschools with a literary profile are a further development of two projects: Bulleribok, which ran in Mölndal from 2002 to 2004; and Alfons, Ellen, Kotten och alla andra, which ran in Västra Götaland province during the same period. The names of both projects are direct references to classic Swedish children’s literature. The book Inte bara läsvila: tankar och idéer från samverkansprojekt mellan bibliotek och förskola (Not just quiet-time reading: thoughts and ideas from collaborative projects 37