Bookstart Around the World 1
Bookstart Around the World especially Jämtland Hä
rjedalen, Johansson (2017) explains that there are many good examples, but that one major challenge is that collaboration between preschools and libraries is not sufficiently deeprooted. Gathering around a common goal has the potential to make such methods more successful, according to the author. Participation The enactment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Sweden has raised questions about the influence of children. In the context of language activities in the home and preschool environments, this is also a relevant area in which more information may be needed. In her ongoing evaluation of the Bokstart project in Gävleborg, Lena Magnusson (2020) describes how a child’s participation and influence is expressed and how this is dealt with within the project. An important point that is highlighted is that a child’s language development naturally depends on that child’s interest in joining in language activities, which means that a child’s influence over preschool activities therefore becomes important. This could, for example, involve a direct influence, where a child might choose to read together with an adult or select the book that will be read. Indirect influence is also described in the study, where an adult takes a child’s interests into consideration by adapting books or language activities accordingly. Magnusson also highlights the fact that preschool staff made use of, started using, and developed strategies for involving the children in what she terms language-play in preschool. In their ongoing research report called BERÄTTA, LEKA, LÄSA [‘TELL, PLAY, READ’], Johansson and Hillén (2016) similarly emphasise the importance of listening to children so as to facilitate their participation in literacy activities within and outside of preschool. Apps et al. (2016) also emphasises the importance of listening to the children. They also believe that, in order to reach out to and engage all parents, preschools and libraries need to use a great variety of methods to promote reading. Listening to the children when designing the programmes, selecting books, storytelling and reading, and involving their interests have been highlighted as important elements for successfully arousing their desire to read and getting the snowball rolling. This may also be the case regarding both the frequency and quality of reading aloud at preschools, as well as when the preschool staff have contact with families. What children do during the day at preschool may also affect what they do at home during the evenings and weekends. 4.5 Gaps and challenges From this literature review, it is possible to identify some knowledge gaps in the growing literature. These gaps will be described in this chapter, and according to the scope of this overview, we will also describe the literature that does exist within these gaps. The challenges of measuring the effects of bookgifting programmes will then be described. 4.5.1 Need for longitudinal studies There is a shortage of longitudinal studies, which means that longterm effects cannot currently be adequately described (Needlman & Silverstein, 2004 & Carpentieri, 2013). This is also described in the study by Andersson et al.: ‘...there is a general dearth of longitudinal research in family literacy programmes, although there is some evidence that they do have a lasting impact...’ (Andersson et al., 2017: 650). Amongst the mentioned studies that aimed to measure the effects of bookgifting programmes, it is quite unusual for these to be of a longitudinal nature; that is, that the effects from interventions by bookgifting programmes are measured repeatedly over time. Often, language development or language activities are measured before and after an intervention. Sometimes, control groups are measured in such studies on several occasions, but it is rare for children to be monitored for a longer period of time. The longterm 34/52