Dialogic Reading in Infancy and Early Childhood Education: Setting the Stage for a Preliminary Analysis of Educational Materials in Specific EFL conTexts

Dialogic Reading refers to a multi-faceted approach to reading picture books with young children that revolves around the selection of appropriate materials, “scaffolded adult-child interactions”, and carefully constructed feedback [12]. The diverse initial conditions for this approach to be implemented in an EFL context may require careful assessment, possibly resulting in adaptations to match the age and language skills of the relevant actors and target audience. Studies have already outlined the need for adjustments to traditional Dialogic Reading activities under certain conditions [7]. An ideal context for selected inquiries into Dialogic Reading has been provided by Hearing and Feeling English (and Other Languages) in Infancy and Early Childhood, an ongoing three-year action-research project funded by the Region Emilia-Romagna and the University of Bologna (Italy). The project is now in its second year, and its main aim is to extend free language education to a growing number of children (6-36 months) by bringing the sounds of English—and, to a lesser extent, other languages—into the daily routines of public and private nurseries by means of Dialogic Reading activities. Firstly, this analysis aims to pinpoint the variables involved in choosing picture books and crafting reading guides for Dialogic Reading experiences in English conducted by Italian nursery staff with little or no knowledge of the language and aimed at children whose receptive skills in English tend to be equally limited. To support effectual decisions, this paper will explore assessment criteria including agespecific constraints, local factors, issues to do with the native language and culture of the actors involved, and their personal, linguistic, and professional sets of skills, thus sketching one possible approach to adapting Dialogic Reading activities for an Early Years EFL environment [8]. Finally, further developments and research questions will be outlined to offer an initial contribution in shaping a comprehensive framework supporting the real-life application of EFL Dialogic Reading in Italian contexts