Abstract
This qualitative study examined kindergarten children’s responses to their favorite books and their perspectives on reading at home and school. Data included observations, interviews with teachers, parents, and children, and “My Favorite Book” response sheets completed by children. Children’s favorite books reflected various genres, including fictional storybooks, informational books, and adaptations of popular animated films. All the children were active readers who enthusiastically engaged with the texts, demonstrating their ability to negotiate meaning, share their interests, articulate their reasoning, respond based on their experiences, emotions, and imagination, and reflect upon the literacy features of the books. The children valued companionship, pleasure, and improvement of comprehension when they read with teachers, parents, and peers at home and school. However, they expressed a strong desire for more readings by adults, a more diverse selection of books, and involvement in making book purchase decisions. This study sheds light on children’s agency and voices regarding the provision of literacy opportunities and the significance of professional development for teachers and parents.
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This study was funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 104-2410-H-007-072-).
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Interview Questions for Teachers and the Administrator
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1.
How important is reading in your teaching?
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2.
What reading activities do you do in your classroom? Would you please give some examples?
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3.
What strategies do you use to make reading more interesting for children? Which strategies have been effective and which ones haven’t? Would you please provide examples and reasons?
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4.
How does peer interaction influence children’s interest in reading? Would you please provide some examples?
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5.
How often do you read books to the children? When do you usually read? How long does each session last? Would you please describe the storytelling process?
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6.
How do you choose reading materials? What criteria do you consider? What types of books do you select?
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7.
What are the functions of the reading corner in your classroom? How do you plan and set up the reading corner?
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8.
How often do you change the books in the reading corner? How many books do you provide each time?
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9.
What challenges do you face in creating a reading environment for children?
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10.
What types of stories do your students enjoy the most? Would you please provide some examples?
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11.
Do you notice any preferences for certain types of books among girls and boys in your class? Would you please provide some examples?
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12.
Do you believe your students are capable of choosing appropriate books for themselves? Please explain.
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13.
Do you think children like the books you select for them? How did you reach this conclusion?
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14.
Which reading activities do the children in your class like or dislike? Why?
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15.
Would you please describe the children who like or dislike reading in your class? What do you think are the reasons for their different reading interests?
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16.
Based on your observations, in what situations do young children voluntarily engage in reading the books you provide?
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17.
Do you have any programs supporting family reading? Why do you organize these activities? Would you please explain how the program works?
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18.
How effective is the reading program in terms of parent and child participation?
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19.
How would you improve the program?
Appendix 2: Interview Questions for Parents
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1.
How do you plan activities for your child when they come home?
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2.
How many children’s books do you have at home?
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3.
How do you usually acquire these books? Where do you find resources for children’s books? What types of books do you choose?
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4.
Do you read books to your child? How often do you engage in shared reading? How long do the sessions usually last? When do you typically read together?
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5.
Would you please describe the situation when you read together with your child?
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6.
What strategies do you use when reading with your child? How do you decide how to tell the story?
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7.
Do you enjoy the time spent reading with your child, or are there aspects that frustrate you?
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8.
Do you encourage your child to read on their own? What strategies do you use?
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9.
Why do you think reading is important?
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10.
What are your expectations for your child’s reading abilities?
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11.
Does your child enjoy reading together with you? How can you tell if they enjoy listening to stories?
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12.
Has the teacher ever described your child’s response to reading activities at school? Would you please provide some examples?
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13.
Are the teacher’s descriptions of your child’s reading behavior consistent with your own observations at home? If not, what are the differences?
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14.
Does your child enjoy reading? What behaviors do you observe that indicate their interest in reading?
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15.
Do you think your child has the ability to choose books they like? Can you explain the reasons behind your answer?
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16.
In your opinion, what is your child’s favorite book? Why do you think they like it?
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17.
Based on your knowledge, what reading-related activities does the school provide for your child?
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18.
Do you have any suggestions or feedback regarding the reading activities organized by the school?
Appendix 3: Interview Questions for Children
Topic I: My favorite book
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1.
What is the name of this book?
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2.
What is the story of this book?
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3.
Why do you enjoy this book?
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4.
What did you draw in your picture?
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5.
Why did you choose to draw that?
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6.
Did you choose this book by yourself?
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7.
Who got you this book?
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8.
Who tells you this story at home? How does he/she tell this story?
Topic II: Reading experiences at school
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1.
What activities do you like to do at school? Why do you like them?
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2.
Which areas in your classroom do you enjoy? Why do you like those areas?
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3.
Do you like going to the reading area? Why or why not?
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4.
How do you feel when you read books at school?
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5.
When do you usually read books? Can you tell me about it? (For example, do you read alone, with friends, or with a teacher?)
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6.
Do you like it when the teacher tells you stories? Why or why not?
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7.
How does the teacher tell you stories?
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8.
If you could choose any book, what kind of book would you like to read at school?
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9.
What can teachers do to help you enjoy reading?
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10.
What could your friends do to make you want to read?
Topic III: Reading experiences at home
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1.
What do you like to do at home?
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2.
When do you enjoy reading books by yourself at home?
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3.
What do you like or dislike about reading alone?
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4.
How do you feel when you read books at home?
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5.
Who reads books with you at home? Would you please tell me about the time when you read together?
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6.
How does your mom or dad read stories to you?
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7.
When does your mom or dad usually read stories? How often do they read?
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8.
What do you like or dislike about your mom and dad reading books to you?
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9.
Does your mom or dad take you to the library or bookstore? Would you please describe what you do there?
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10.
How many books do you have at home?
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11.
What are your favorite books to read at home?
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12.
How did you get these books? Did your mom and dad buy them or did you choose them yourself?
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13.
What do you think your mom and dad can do to help you enjoy reading more?
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Hsieh, MF. ‘This is My Favorite Book’: Exploring Children’s Perspectives on Books and Reading. Early Childhood Educ J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01585-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01585-6