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Marja-Kristiina Lerkannen is one of the leading scholars in terms of literacy, reading and reading research in Finland. She has recently won a Reading/Literacy Research Fellowship Award from the International Reading Association which is "given to a researcher outside the United States or Canada who has evidenced exceptional promise in reading research in the field of reading".( IRA website ) She has published extensively in many journals. In this interview, she responds to questions about her research and the research of her colleagues in various parts of Finland.

1) Tell us a bit about your study in Finland entitled " Literacy Development and Motivation: A Five Year Follow Up of Children, their Parents and their Teachers from School Entry Through Early Grades"

The study is a follow-up of 2000 children from kindergarten to the 4^th grade (age 6 to 10 years) to investigate the links between children's literacy skill development and motivation, developmental paths (especially in case of reading problems),the contribution of parental and teacher practices and beliefs, and parent-teacher partnership to the child's learning and motivational outcomes.

Measures included assessments of children's literacy skills development and the children were and are, being interviewed for motivational aspects. Parents and teacher fills out these questionnaires yearly, and the classroom interaction between teacher and pupils was also observed. The study aims to increase understanding of parent, teacher and classrooms effects on children's literacy learning and motivation in order to develop interventions and in-service teacher training programs.

2) What courses do you teach at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland?

I teach in the Teacher Education Department, and I teach the pedagogy of kindergarten and early primary grades, young children's learning and motivation in school transition, literacy learning and instruction as well as reading disabilities, and I tutor the teaching practices at kindergarten and grade 1 and 2.

Moreover, I supervise several master's thesis as well as a few doctoral dissertations on literacy learning and instruction and motivational aspects relative to young children's learning.

3) You were awarded a major research Fellowship which honors reading researchers outside the United States and Canada. What were your feelings when you received the award?

I was first surprised and then very delighted ! I really appreciate the award and I was happy that Finnish literacy research was noticed by the International Reading Association.

The research is nowadays also a group collaborative effort, so I felt that this award was not only to me, but also it noticed the work of our research group. The whole group was also very pleased about the award.

4) At what age do children begin school in Finland, and how do you think that impacts their education?

In Finland, children begin school in the year they reach seven years of age and their

formal instruction for example in reading starts then. However, the Finnish kindergartens' play-centred approach and the activities which are an integrated part of thematic learning throughout the day, encourage children's motivation and skill development a year before formal instruction begins at school. The learning environment at kindergarten also supports children's play and interaction with peers.

Moreover, the growing number of literacy experimentations before school age have shown that if the literacy experiences are related to play, they will motivate and support children's reading skills and children will get a good start for their later literacy learning at school. Therefore, Finnish children start their school highly motivated and they already know a lot about reading, writing and math and are waiting to learn more challenging things.

5) You have been extensively involved in the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. What have you been researching lately?

I'm a member of EARLI and I really appreciate the high quality work which researchers, mostly from education and psychology are doing. The highlights are the EARLI conferences every second year. In 2005, I received from EARLI an international 'Outstanding Publication Award' for an excellent scientific article in which I appeared as the first author.

Lately, I have been investigating the early risk factors for later literacy learning. I'm following children's reading skills development and how motivation will affect their developmental paths when the child is in an at- risk group. I have also started to focus more on the teachers' interaction with children at kindergarten and grade 1 and how their instructional and emotional support will be related to children's learning and motivation, especially when the child has problems in reading.

6) I understand that you have also authored some books. Could you tell us about a few of them?

Last year, I published a text book for teacher students and teachers from literacy learning and instruction. Now all universities in Finland use it as a course book for university teachers. This book was translated also into the Estonian language during the Spring and was a success there also perhaps because in that book the theory, latest research results and good practices make for a good reciprocal relationship.

Last year I also published together with my colleges Anna-Maija Poikkeus and Ritva Ketonen the book: The Assessment Tools for Reading and Writing at Grade 1.

It is not only a test battery. We also included some guidance for teachers as to why to test certain skills (from research), how to make it mostly in a whole class situations and when it is necessary to be worried and what to do then. This book has been sold out already and the 2^nd edition is coming !

7) What kinds of teaching materials have you worked on?

Three years ago, I began cooperating with a nationally leading textbook publisher WSOY which has so far, lead to the publication of the following materials for grade 1 and their teachers: a new ABC book, two workbooks on reading and spelling, two teacher resources files and two teaching instructions books.

This series also contains the new publications for the grade 2 this semester: a text book for children, two workbooks on reading comprehension and writing, two teacher resources files and two teaching instructions books. This series has already been a success. Teachers appreciate that the materials based on both good practices and latest research. That is new in Finland.

8) Have you worked with other colleagues at the other universities in Finland? For example, Turku, Helsinki, Rauma? And what kinds of work have you done?

During the last two years, I have been worked quite intensively withresearchers from other universities like Professor Pekka Niemi and Dr. Elisa Poskiparta from Turku University and Dr. Martti Siekkinen and Professor Leena Holopainen from Joensuu University.

They are involved in the new follow-up research project. I have also worked cooperatively with the colleges from Helsinki, Rauma, Tampere and Oulu in other projects in research and teaching such as creating a web-based learning environment together or planningstudies for students teachers.

Published January 10, 2008