Bolstering and Bridging – Pre-Primary Teachers’ Purposes and Views of Reading Aloud

Abstract

This study investigates what purposes teachers attach to reading books aloud in pre-primary education. Data were collected through a digital questionnaire filled out by 44 teachers working with 6-year-olds in Finnish pre-primary education. Qualitative and inductive content analysis showed that the teachers saw read-alouds as versatile opportunities with several different purposes. Teachers stated that they read aloud to support language development, enhance pedagogical content or current interests, promote transversal competencies and create a certain atmosphere. The teachers’ responses suggested that they believe that read-alouds can further children’s social skills in several ways, bridge and bolster other pre-primary content and prepare children for future educational contexts. Few teachers seemed to regard read-alouds as opportunities to promote aesthetic responses to literature or children’s learning about literature as such, despite books being central to read-alouds. Further study and discussion may indicate whether it would be beneficial to strengthen purposes in closer connection to literature and aesthetic responses, as read-alouds can bring their own learning potential in addition to being versatile tools for other content and activities.