Working with educational literature in Kindergarten

The focus of this master's thesis is the methodological development and implementation of four thematically focused weekly lessons, using educational literature in a preschool setting. The objective is to motivate children's interest in educational books and in acquiring new knowledge through books. The thesis presents an integrative model of reading pre-literacy in relation to educational literature, by interconnecting all the components of a child's activities in a preschool setting, applying critical-thinking methods in a three-phase learning framework (E-R-R - Evocation, Realization of Meaning, Reflection), and using reading strategies designed to enhance the experience of learning from educational books. The theoretical section is concerned with reading literacy. It focuses on reading pre-literacy and an integrative model of reading pre-literacy in relation to educational literature, the importance of exposure to books in preschool, the use of critical thinking methods and reading strategies, the use of educational books, and characteristics of the preschool child when working with educational literature. The practical section is based on action research design, which consists of the implementation of four thematically focused weekly lessons designed to arouse children's interest in..