La place accordée à la littérature jeunesse dans les structures d'accueil de la petite enfance

Résumé

It is commonly held that school is the place of first encounters with reading. Yet, children do not wait until they are in school to connect with books and develop an interest in it. They connect with literature before learning to read and since birth through the sound and rythm of parents’ voices reading or telling stories aloud.

While telling stories was traditionally the role of grandparents, new ways of life in occidental countries have altered this scheme. Day care centers have developped in France wherein the role of grand parents is being substituted. It is estimated that more than 1,5 million children under 3 are being looked after outisde their family’s home. And 350.000 are offered seats in nearly 11.000 day care centers for young children such as : crèches, haltes-garderies, etc.

It could be foreseen that such children care centers can become new places for children to discover reading through collective reading. Yet, previous research on the matter suggests that reading in these centers is not considered a priority and « reading for pleasure » even less. When books are used it is with specific and didactic constraints in mind. The paper will develop some of the reasons underlying such practices.