Using multilingual books in kindergarten classrooms with the ELODIL Multilingual Picture Books digital platform: Outcomes and critical perspectives

Abstract

In this chapter, the creation of a digital platform featuring multilingual picturebooks and its implementation in ten kindergarten classrooms in a pluri-ethnic and multilingual environment, as part of an action-research project is first described. The aim of the project was to provide teachers with tools to encourage openness to linguistic diversity and support children’s language development. Secondly, the intervention is presented and its main benefits for children, their parents, and teachers are summarised. Thirdly, a critical examination of certain aspects of the research project and its digital platform is conducted to ensure a greater awareness of the issues surrounding the theoretical approach in which it is inscribed, the platform itself, and the context in which the platform is used. Shedding light on these issues is a necessary step toward improving the understanding and implementation of inclusive education principles. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Esa Christine Hartmann and Áine McGillicuddy