Promoting school-family cooperation in the context of intercultural education through the reorganization of the kindergarten courtyard. The example of the outdoor library.


Published: Mar 13, 2026
Keywords:
outdoor library, multicultural learning environments, space, school-family cooperation, preschool education
Zoi Konstantinidou
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8560-7849
Alexandra Gkloumpou
Abstract

The classroom's library in kindergarten is organized following different pedagogical and teaching practices. The recent educational program aimed at the creation of a library at the kindergarten's courtyard, following the participatory design. The basic aim was the active participation of all children and their families considering the characteristics of their sociocultural environment and highlighting their significant role in the creation of common literacy experiences through the utilization of their culture. The program was developed in a public kindergarten in Crete, with a sample of 17 children, 10 of native and 7 of foreign origin, aged 4-6 years old. The methodological tools of the Mosaic Approach, Information and Communication Technologies, cooperative learning and a thinking routine were used. The evaluation showed that the creation of the outdoor library significantly enhanced the interactions and the cooperation between teachers, children and parents and their active participation in multicultural educational literacy activities.

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