Literacy events in toddler groups: Preschool educators' talk about their work with literacy among toddlers

Abstract

The present study originates in an interest in toddlers' spontaneous literacy activities and Swedish preschool practice. The curriculum for Swedish preschool ( National Agency for Education, 2011b ) clearly states that preschools should work on the basis of a holistic view of the child and that activities should be both enjoyable and based on toddlers' experiences, play and desire to learn. Because the curriculum can be interpreted in a number of different ways, it is important to highlight how tasks in preschool, specifically those directed at written language, are realized in practice. Hence, the aim of this article is to explore educators' talk about their work with written language within an early childhood literacy frame. The study is seen from a social constructionist perspective, and the analysis is based on focus group interviews with ten preschool educator teams on two separate occasions for each. Two themes are identified as being clearly displayed in the educators’ talk about toddlers' literacy: The first theme is doing literacy: toddlers' bodily and material manifestations. The second theme covers the educators' educational manner and the educators' construction of literacy: a playful and material approach based on values and traditions. Finally, these themes are discussed in relation to the educators' professional language, concrete and contextual literacy events, material aspects and a view of toddlers as literate persons in their own right. Hence, the study contributes to a wider discussion about toddlers' everyday activities and interest in written language. In addition, the study makes the suggestion that, in order for work with literacy among toddlers to be based on the child, professional language which highlights toddlers' ways of expression from a broad perspective of what it is to be literate, is needed.