Practice and evaluation of programs for promoting preschoolers' interests in reading

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26540168
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Library and information science/Humanistic social informatics
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Kanae 筑波大学, 図書館情報メディア系, 准教授 (60334570)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ぬいぐるみおとまり会 / 読書興味 / 図書館への関心 / 幼児 / プログラム評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the construction of stuffed-animal sleepover programs, and implemented and evaluated the revised programs.
On the first day, most existing programs began with a story hour at a library, following which the children left stuffed animals at the library and picked them up the next day. However, in the revised programs for libraries, children simply brought their stuffed animals to the library and left them on the first day. On the final day, a story hour and slide show on how stuffed animals contributed and participated in activities at the library was conducted. At the end of the programs, children were given books as if their stuffed animals had selected them and a photo album of the stuffed animals’ experiences at the library. The revised programs were implemented at the public library and at kindergartens or nursery schools. Most parents greatly evaluated the activities, stating that their children showed considerable interest in the books provided in the programs.

Free Research Field

図書館情報学、社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

公共図書館では、乳幼児とその保護者を対象としたさまざまなサービスが行われているが、来館者がサービス対象となることが多く、また、提供するサービスの効果の実証は難しい状況にあった。このような状況に対して、本研究は、参加者の本や図書館への関心などがより高まるように従来の構成を再検討した「ぬいぐるみのとしょかんおとまり会」を公共図書館だけでなく、幼稚園・保育園でも実施し、日頃公共図書館を必ずしも利用しない幼児とその保護者を含めてその効果を明らかにしている。本研究の成果は、今後の「ぬいぐるみのとしょかんおとまり会」の推進や乳幼児に対する読書活動への理解などにつながることが期待される。