The importance of reading aloud for children's language development : A qualitative study of preschool teachers' work with reading aloud

The purpose of the study is to look into the different ways preschool teacherswork with reading aloud to encourage kids language development. The studyis based on a qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews withsix preschool teachers at four separate preschools. All respondents in the studyare trained preschool teachers and work with children aged one to six years.The interviews have been transcribed and analyzed, the material is presentedin categories.The sociocultural perspective on learning is the basis for the study and the categories are presented in relation to the socio-cultural perspective.The results of the study show that preschool teachers see reading aloud as animportant part of the preschool's everyday activities and that it is used for different purposes; relaxation, comfort, sense of belonging, language development and encouragement of empathy and imagination. The results show thatpreschool teachers have a basic high awareness of the importance of readingaloud for children's language development. Finally, the results show that theconversation before, during and after about the book's content creates conditions for children's opportunity for development and learning.