A seamless transition or an oasis to rest in? : The children's pictures of the Swedish preschool class.

A seamless transition or an oasis to rest in? The children’s pictures of the Swedish preschool class In Sweden, children’s transition from preschool to compulsory school is made through the preschool class. This study aims to highlight this Swedish transition zone through the eyes of the children. What is focused in the preschool class from the children’s point of view? The children have been painting pictures of their days in the preschool class. The focus of analysis is what the children chose to highlight as central in the pedagogic practice. The pictures are therefore seen as communicative narratives, since the children represent and communicate their experiences of the world through the pictures. Ten preschool classes participated in the study, and a total of 172 pictures were analyzed. Over half of the pictures showed playing children and included (free) play both indoors and outdoors, pictures that describes the preschool class as an “oasis to rest in” between preschool and school. Yet another extensive category was outlined that showed different types of learning and education foremost in activities as circle time. The result shows that the pictures reflects the preschool class as a playful child-centred educational practice at the crossroads between preschool and compulsory school. The conclusion is that the preschool class may be just a seamless transition from preschool to compulsory school, with both “formal” schooling and playful learning.EASE, Early years transition programm