The school library in kindergarten: implications for shared family reading in the 2-6 age group

Abstract

The paper presents the research findings of a survey carried out in 2020 aimed at analyzing the effects of managing a school library, where parents and grandparents are directly involved, and the implementation of the project of shared reading between school and family at “Veratti”, kindergarten in Varese. The importance of reading since early childhood, the school library services and the shared reading project were emphasized; further aspects were taken into consideration, such as home book loan, the attendance of the school library by the families, the number of books read to children between 2 and 6 years in the library and at home. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to the households, whose over 60% replied. Families affirmed that the school library, a meeting and active participation place in the kindergarten, has played a major role in increasing their library attendance and reading to their children. Furthermore, the cooperation between school, families and the program Nati per leggere (i.e., Born to Read) has helped to spread and increase the practice of reading shared at home, among all of the families involved in the school library project.