Improvement of preschool children’s speech and language skills

ABSTRACT

Many children in preschool have speech and language disorders and a poor communication development, and the need for support is extensive. The aim was to find out if and how reading aloud and storytelling could enhance children’s communication development, the study was interactionistic. Eleven municipal preschools with 23 child units (573 children) participated. A questionnaire containing 15 questions with 54 sub-items was answered on group level by the staff. The results showed that reading aloud and storytelling was used continuously, and the staff believed that the activity would help the children to develop their communication both regarding speech and development of concepts. But this is provided that the staff prioritize literacy in preschool and have knowledge about how to use reading aloud and storytelling to support children’s communication.

KEYWORDS:

• Preschool children
• speech and language development
• communication
• reading aloud
• storytelling
• improvements in preschool and school
• preschool curriculum

Introduction

Concurrently with the rapid development in the digital society, the demand for a functional communication is evident already in childhood. All children in Sweden, despite mother language or social background, have the right to get equal opportunities to acquire the Swedish language (SOU :). Preschool and school have a key role in these respects and constitute the basis for children’s language development. In Sweden preschool is part of the general education system (Education Act, 2010), and the Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for preschool teacher education on an academic level. To reach the goals of equality for all children Sweden implemented the first national curriculum for preschool in 1998 (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010). It appears that speech and communication is regarded as vital in child development, and therefore forms a goal area in the curriculum.

Preschool is expected to stimulate children’s learning and development from a holistic point of view, and most children between one and five years attend preschool. The leading star is ‘a school for all’, although Sweden is at present experiencing many challenges. The demands on the preschool teachers are growing, in pace with an increasing number of immigrant children arriving to Sweden without being able to speak the Swedish language. This is a challenge for the preschool system. The goals in preschool are many and the teachers are responsible for attaining the goals ‘as far as possible’.

The goals for children’s language learning and development in preschool are in short:

• to be able to differentiate shades of meaning in concepts,

• to develop the ability to listen, reflect and express their own views,

• to develop their use of spoken language, vocabulary and concepts, ask questions, and argue and communicate with others,

• to develop an interest in written language, understand symbols, pictures, texts and different media, and

• to develop their creative abilities (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010).

The goals are not intended to be used for assessment of children’s development or learning. They are primarily directed to the preschool staff and are goals to strive for (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010; Norling & Lillvist, 2016).

Communication and literacy

Communication and speech and language development have been on the research agenda long time ago. It started with discussions related to heredity and environment, about the relationships between thought and language and the importance of experiences for meaningful thinking. Today two of the researchers (Piaget and Vygotsky) still influence the view on child and language development in preschool in many countries (Brodin, Hollerer, Renblad, & Stancheva-Popkostadinova, 2015). Piaget stressed the importance of sensations and experiences with focus on cognitive models and the mental structures driven by an inherited capacity while Vygotsky focused on learning and the zoon of proximal development (ZPD). He highlighted the importance of social-cultural contexts and stressed that adults played a supportive role in social interaction. However, in a dissertation on children with severe intellectual disabilities Brodin already in 1991 showed that both models were needed as complements to explain communication and communication development in these children. It appears from research that many literature reviews are conducted (e.g. Evans & Jones, 2007; Håland Anveden, 2017; Lennox, 2013; Saracho & Spodek, 2007) but the need for further studies based on new research is still actual. Evans and Jones (2007) have in an Editorial section collected 14 articles on oracy, i.e. speaking and listening skills. Oracy is a concept used in the U.K. curriculum. The text cover both theoretical and pedagogical aspects and stress language acquisition, language learning in different cultural settings and aspects of second language learning. The studies from the U.K. refer to school-based education of children (5–6 years) as well as (7–8 years). Preschool in Sweden covers children between one and five years.

Communication is a wide concept that includes both speech and language, and as it appears from the Swedish preschool curriculum (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010), communication is a vital and thus prioritized goal area. The importance of being able to talk to people around, to understand what they want to express, and to share their own experiences is stressed. Communication is a social activity based on interaction and means to share experiences, feelings and activities (Brodin, 1991; Honig, 2007; Saracho, 2004). It is based on participation and mutuality. The need for a functioning communication is decisive for a child’s health and wellbeing. The interaction between the parents and the child (mother–child and father–child) starts already at birth and continues when the parents are nursing their newborn child (Brodin, 2018; Sommer, 2012). To conclude, early interaction is decisive for child development (e.g. Bruce, 2014; Horowitz, 2005; Renblad & Brodin, 2013). The main reason for this is that there is no other period in childhood that contains that much learning as the first five years in life. However, many children need support to develop their communication, identity and creativity, and the stress should be on oral language experiences, which will help children ‘learn and understand the relationship between the spoken and written language’ (Saracho & Spodek, 2007). It is evident that most researchers agree on many aspects e.g. that social interaction (both receptive and expressive), many language experiences and activities, and participation in different cultural groups will promote children’s communication (Evans & Jones, 2007).

A concept often used when talking about speech and language development is literacy (Svensson, 2009). Briefly, literacy means the ability to read and write, but in this concept also other aspects of communication are included, such as interpretation of what people say and to interpret and understand a message (Björklund, 2008). Literacy is thus a concept that is included in communication in a broader perspective (Brodin & Renblad, 2015). The concept oracy is used in the U.K. National Curriculum when talking about speaking and listening, and it involves both discourse activities and speech events (Saracho & Spodek, 2007). Today it is necessary to be able to express feelings, thoughts and preferences (i.e. what we feel, think and like), and consequently everybody needs a well-developed communication and a rich language. Children learn language in a socio-cultural context, i.e. during social play in the preschool group by listening to their peers and to express themselves (Brodin, 2018). The mission in many countries is to stimulate children’s learning and development from a holistic view and to lay the basis for lifelong learning. The pedagogical activities in preschool must therefore be adapted to fit all children, and the preschool teachers must consider that all children arrive from different environments with different needs. Communication, i.e. speech and language, is a highly prioritized area that promotes inclusion.

Preschool teachers have, in a variety of global studies, reported that many children have a poor speech and language development, and thus need support (e.g. Wilson, 2011). The need for different modes to support communication is extensive. Preschool plays a key role in child development, and it includes both daycare and kindergarten. All children, typical and atypical, attend the inclusive preschool, and the motto in Sweden is ‘a (pre)school for all’. Focus in this article is to find out if and how reading aloud and storytelling could enhance children’s communication development, as reported in many global studies.⁠

Previous research

There is a variety of methods that can be used to stimulate children’s language development. In this article, we focus on reading aloud and storytelling as a tool to stimulate communication. In congruence with many researchers, social play including reading aloud and storytelling is one of the most essential ways to stimulate children’s literacy, i.e. speech and language development (Brodin & Renblad, 2015; Sommer, 2012). It is well known that children with poor communication skills can develop both their active and passive vocabulary if they get the right kind of support (Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000). In this case ‘right’ means individually adapted. Reading aloud can thus be regarded as a tool for enhancement of communication (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010). One role of the preschool teachers is to observe the children’s communication abilities based on the abilities of each child. Preschool is in many countries regarded to have a compensatory role for children who do not get support from their immediate environment, i.e. from their homes (Brodin et al., 2015). Researchers, such as Ziolkowski and Goldstein (2008) have shown that children with a delayed language development can catch up with peers and increase their communication skills and later their literacy if they get support. This is supported by Grabmeier (2012) and Lennox (2013). It is also obvious that children with many reading experiences from various media, and from environments where the parents were involved in their reading activities, have a higher phonological consciousness, broader knowledge of letters, and a more extensive vocabulary compared to children who do not get this support (Foy & Mann, 2003; Gibbons, 2009; Westlund, 2009).

Saracho and Spodek (2007) have conducted a review with focus on how language develops, the teacher’s role, and experiences concerning the relationship between spoken and written language. The studies focused on the cultural context in relation to cognitive development. The results of the review had practical implications and showed that an efficient language programme should include both receptive (listening and reading) and expressive (speaking and writing) activities. They stated that the emphasis in preschool should be on oral language experiences and stressed that language develops in cultural contexts in interaction with adults and peers. This is in congruence with Vygotsky.

In a longitudinal study on systematic quality work in preschool Brodin and Renblad (2014a, 2014b) found that the quality in preschool affects children’s health and wellbeing. Aspects influencing the quality are for instance educated and competent staff, enough time for pedagogical planning and follow-up, small child groups, high teacher density, low staff turnover, and a good (safe and positive) physical and psychical environment. Other aspects are e.g. an efficient value system, a useful curriculum, and inclusive education. The quality of preschool has importance for children’s learning, and is vital for promoting children’s learning. The more the children learn within the goal areas (e.g. communication), the more they will develop, and this is essential for their future life e.g. performance in school (Håkansson, 2013; Sheridan & Pramling Samuelsson, 2009; Taguma, Litjens, & Makowiecki, 2013). High quality is also connected to lifelong learning and the more children learn in preschool the better their opportunities are in the future.

Honig (2007) stated that caregivers and teachers are crucial supporters for oral language flowering. Since the social context is so critical for rich oral language acquisition, parents and teachers need to become aware of their own understandings about how language is organized and what the different aspects of language are. These metalinguistic skills permit talk about all rules, aspects and stages of language development.

Lennox (2013) has from a review on reading aloud concluded that children’s language development is a critical factor in reading and later academic success. Lennox means that pedagogical knowledge is extremely important as well as selection of books, quality of interactions around the books and developing the vocabulary and inferential language skills. The way the books are talked about in the group may open or close opportunities for learning and talking about the book. The role of the preschool teacher is thus important for literacy learning. This is also pointed out by Jones (2007) who means that reiterate, planning, teaching and assessing are ‘parts of a cycle’. She stresses that planning for teaching and assessment should go together, and consequently speaking and listening (i.e. oracy) are fundamental to learning and teaching. To promote reading skills in preschool children Grabmeier (2012) emphasizes the teacher’s role and that just a small change in how teachers read aloud for the children may stimulated their reading skills. Simple steps like pointing out letters and words, showing capital letters and how to read text from left to right, and from top of the side to bottom.

Aim and method

The overall aim of this article is to describe the work conducted in 11 preschools to improve the children’s speech and language development. The aim of the study was to find out if and how reading aloud and storytelling may influence children’s communication development. An underlying assumption was to increase the consciousness of communication among staff and parents and to inspire them to read along with the children in everyday life. Focus was on speech and language development in preschool where reading aloud and storytelling were the leading concepts (Renblad & Brodin, 2013).

The study has an interactionistic approach, where the social and cultural interaction between the children develops their communication and language in a natural setting, i.e. the preschool.

Target group and procedure of the study

The target group was 11 municipal preschools in a small municipality, serving 573 children between 1 and 5 years of age, and divided into 23 child units. In the child groups children with many different backgrounds and languages (totally 18 nationalities) were represented and this raised high demands on the preschool teachers, especially as focus was on reading aloud and storytelling. All municipal preschools in this municipality in Jönköping region were included in the study. From start 25 preschool units were invited to participate but there was a decline of two units due to lack of time. Data were collected in 2 steps: 2012 and 2013 by a web-based questionnaire (see Appendix) that was answered on group level by the 23 child units. The questions could be answered very short with ‘yes, no or don’t know’ but every question had plenty of space to develop and widen their answers. We urged them to use this space to develop their answers as we really wanted to get rich answered. Our choice of method is based on our experiences of many years qualitative and quantitative studies. We believe that a combination of both would better illuminate the findings. The same questions were raised at both occasions and the same staff participated with minor exceptions, due to illness.

Data were thus collected, stored and processed in a simple computer program mainly to discover the differences between the two years. The results are reported in running text as descriptive and comparative data and will show how reading aloud and storytelling may influence children’s communication and how this activity was used in the participating 11 preschools. Data have previously been reported in a book in Swedish.

Results

All participating preschool units reported in 2012 and in the follow-up study in 2013 that they daily read aloud for the children. Most of them read several times a day. The staff were asked if they used storytelling and made up stories for the children. In 2012 6 of them did, but in 2013 the number had increased to 17 units. The children had also started to make up stories and told their peers and they got opportunities to express themselves with their own words. This turned out to support the development of their fantasy and creativity. The staff commented that they had been aware about the importance of this activity during the second project year.

The purpose of reading aloud and storytelling was primarily to develop the children’s language consciousness, and to support their development and fantasy. In 2013 the number of comments by the staff increased and they reported that it was important for the preparation of their literacy, i.e. reading and writing, and to develop their creativity and fantasy. In the questionnaire 2012 the staff had mentioned that reading aloud was important in order to train the ability to concentrate, but this was hardly mentioned at all in 2013.

One question was if all children were involved in reading aloud. In 2013 this was a fact but in 2012 this was a big problem as the children had a varying time schedule. For instance, some of the children attended preschool 15 hours a week. However, this is a problem related to planning. The older children (3–5 years) had reading aloud and storytelling according to the pedagogical planning daily when the toddlers (0–3 years) rested. The toddlers had this activity as part of the free play.

Reading aloud took mainly place in small groups but it appears that it also took place in the large group or for an individual child. When a child initiated reading aloud e.g. coming up to the teacher with a book in his/her hand, the staff always said yes and this made them feel that they could influence their daily activities. Reading aloud and storytelling were included in the pedagogical work and took place all over the day. A majority of the preschools had routines for it but it appears from the answers that it also took place spontaneously. One preschool teacher commented that they tried to take the opportunity whenever a child shows interest in reading a book.

The staff used different kinds of books: fairy tales, rhymes and jingles, fact books, song books, real-life stories, picture books. None of the 23 units used poetry. They lent books from the local library, they bought books as included in the budget or they brought own books to preschool. Some of the children contributed and brought books to preschool. This was especially common regarding children with other cultural background.

About the accessibility to the books, all answers and comments show an improvement in all respects. Many preschools had bought books, and the accessibility of books on other languages had increased (from 5 to 12). For children with other cultural background than the Swedish, there was also a great difference, as it has increased. Another change was that the staff introduced the books when new arrivals.

At most of the preschools the staff analysed the children’s interest before buying new or lending books from the library, and often the children were asked to help when selecting books. All preschool units talked about the books with the children after having read them. They talked about the pictures and reflected on the content. At this occasion, the children got an opportunity to express how they have conceived and understood the content. They also heard the comments from their peers. This widened their perspectives on the content and made them think about closely related questions that were discussed and reflected.

To process the content of the books and the stories told in the books are regarded as very positive for their communication development. In 2013 this has increased, and the staff stated that they had changed their ways to handle the reading aloud and storytelling. The results also showed that the children used several forms of play to express and process the content in the books, e.g. dramatic play, theatre, puppet theatre, drawing and painting had increased during 2013 compared with the survey 2012. The most remarkable change concerned reading and writing when it increased from 2 to 16 units. From the comments, it appears that the staff used special storytelling boxes in their work. A storytelling box contained different figures and dolls, animals, houses and trees for building up a mini environment before telling a fairy tale or a story.

Another area which was obvious during the project was the cooperation with the homes. In 2012, 8 of the units replied that they cooperated with regard to reading and storytelling and in 2013 this figure had increased to 18. The preschool units had developed their cooperation and talked about different ways to support children’s language development, and one idea was to have special bags with books. The children brought their favourite books from home to preschool and told their peers about the book before the teacher read it aloud for the whole group. The importance of reading aloud and storytelling was also discussed with the parents on the reoccurring developmental dialogues concerning each child. The role of reading aloud was highlighted by the staff and most parents listened and adapted it. They also informed the parents in which way the children’s speech and language development was influenced, and what their child has learnt by participating in the project.

The results showed that the achievements with focus on communication had resulted in several positive changes in the daily routines and activities. The staff experienced that all children appreciated reading aloud and storytelling. Children’s interest in signs, symbols, pictures and letters had developed, and their vocabulary, understanding of language and concepts had been widened. The children were better prepared to read and write, and they had developed their fantasy and creativity which was evident in play. The understanding of concepts have been elaborated and the staff feel more comfortable to support reading aloud and storytelling.

Reflections of reading aloud and storytelling

The main question was if reading aloud and storytelling could be used to support communication (i.e. speech and language development) in preschool children. The results showed that the answer is yes and based on that the second question raised was how to use it. This is in line with the Education Act (2010) and the Curriculum for Preschool (Lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010) in Sweden. It appears from the results that reading aloud, and storytelling can be an effective tool but to be optimal, it is important that the staff are aware how to work with the books they read (Grabmeier, 2012; Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000; Lennox, 2013; Westlund, 2009). Reading aloud does not automatically mean that children’s communication will be improved. To read, follow-up, discuss and reflect on the content and the pictures are necessary. The preschool staff need a pedagogical idea behind the reading of a book and for children in need of special support it is even more important to get literal stimulation to develop their communication skills (Brodin, 2018). Many researchers point out that if children get support in preschool this will contribute to a better language development and learning in school (e.g. Foy & Mann, 2003; Håkansson, 2013; Ziolkowski & Goldstein, 2008). One problem was that many preschools read aloud for the children, but they did not follow-up the content or discuss the books. This means that the vocabulary will probably not be developed, and the understanding of different concepts and shades of meaning will get lost. The children in our study had 18 different nationalities and this caused some problems for the teachers. Sometimes they asked children with another mother language to bring books from home to look at and talk about and sometimes the parents assisted to translate.

Most preschool units in the region today have routines for reading aloud and storytelling and less staff talk about the aim with reading aloud to train the child’s concentration and attention. Instead, they talk about the opportunity to stimulate the children’s learning and development. The limitation of this study is that it is a small number study (23 units with a total of 573 children) and that the children have not been heard about their opinions but only the preschool staff. Another limitation is that the psychological and linguistics aspects have not been taken stressed when talking about communication, but these were excluded already from start. The ability to communicate is decisive for a healthy life and for the quality of life (Brodin & Renblad, 2014b; Sommer, 2012).

Another result of interest is the cooperation with the homes. In 2012, 8 units replied that they discussed reading aloud and storytelling with the parents and one year later the cooperation had extended to 18. When working with communication support it is necessary to involve all natural settings a child is involved in, i.e. preschools and homes.

It is evident that the staff try to attain the goals of the curriculum but there are too many goals to attain. To work with young children is demanding and new challenges appear constantly. Therefore, it is necessary that the staff are flexible and have ability and possibility to change their eventual plans, to meet the needs of the children. The second year we noted a great improvement on flexibility. An example is when a child comes up to a teacher with a book and says ‘please read this’. Perhaps the teacher may consider to change the planned activity or get the child to understand that they will read in a minute. The most important is the attitude of the teachers because the attitude will show how important reading is. The staff at preschool show with this behaviour that reading is an important activity.

Conclusion

Our study shows that reading aloud and storytelling can be a pedagogical tool for child development. With a well- thought-out strategy reading aloud and storytelling will work as a tool (Brodin & Renblad, 2015). The preschool teachers said that they were aware of the fact that reading aloud and storytelling was effective to support communication and language development but they did not have a know-how strategy to conduct the idea, until they understood the meaning of research results and practice. One explanation to this is that research is often presented in a foreign language, another is probably lack of time. As soon as we had opportunities to discuss this with the staff, they realized that they had to go one step further. They have so much to do with the children during daytime that they did not have time for in-service training. Early support before school starts is needed to catch up with peers is suggested by many researchers (e.g. Bruce, 2014; Norling & Lillvist, 2016; Wilson, 2011). It is, however, important to state that reading aloud and storytelling is not the only method that can be used to support communication. More research need to be conducted in this field especially as so many preschool children have difficulties due to communication delays or disorders. Finally, the preschool teachers need support and in-service training concerning how to support each child in the most efficient way.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Appendix

Basic data (name of preschool, unit, and ages of the children)

Do you read aloud for the children in preschool? (If yes, what is the main purpose of the activity?

If no, why not?

How often do you read aloud? Six reply alternatives (from several times a day till once a week)

Do you present new arrivals of books for the children?

What types of books do you use? (pictures, stories, facts, reality based, poetry, rhime and xx, song books, other)

Who picks out the books to read? (teachers or the children)

Do you read books available at the preschool?

How do you read aloud? (in big group, in small groups, individually for each child)

Do you have routines for reading aloud? (If yes, what are they?)

When do you read aloud? (at gathering, resting time, afternoon, during play, other)

Do you lend books from the library?

Do you analyze the children’s needs and interest before buying the books or loans?

(If you lend books from the library, are the children joining you)

Have you read the books before reading them for the children?

Is reading aloud a planned or spontaneous activity?

Do you work with the books in other ways? (e.g. teamwork, drama play, theatre, doll theatre, music, pictures, play, reading and writing, poetry, other)

Do you use flanello graphs when telling stories for the children?

Do you create own stories and fairy tales for the children?

Do the children created fairy tales for each other?

Do you cooperate with the children’s homes about reading aloud for the children? (If Yes, how … ?)

Do you cooperate with the library? (If yes, how?)

Do the children appreciate reading aloud and storytelling?

Do the children ask you to read?

Do you experience that the children are in interested in signs, symbols, pictures and letters?

How do the children show their interest?

Do you experience that there is a difference in interest between boys and girls?

Do you present the content of the book before reading it?

Do the children present the books for each other`?

Do you talk with the children about the content after reading?

Do you talk with the children about the pictures?