Cloakroom libraries, book bags and ‘being with books’: Materiality and affective practices in reading promotion activities for younger children in preschool

Fieldwork is conducted in several preschools to observe how children aged 1–3 handle books and to understand the values and perceptions educators associate with socio-material reading practices. The project places particular focus on the spatial and physical aspects of these practices—examining where books are placed within the environment, how children move with books across different spaces, and how educators use physical books in their teaching. Additionally, the project investigates how books are integrated into children’s bodily environments, framing book play as an affective practice. This includes analyzing what emotions and emotional expressions are encouraged, constrained, or expected during book-related interactions.

A significant aspect of the research involves examining younger children's socio-material reading practices through a historical lens, with attention to potential gender coding. This sub-study delves into discursive changes and continuities from the 20th century, analyzing historical child observation records from kindergartens in the 1930s–1940s. It also reviews archival materials, including the journal Förskolan (previously Svenska Fröbelföreningens tidskrift and Barnträdgården), to explore how gendered interactions with books have evolved over time.