TEACHER READ ALOUD Teacher Read Aloud

223 Pages·2014·2.43 MB·German

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 TEACHER
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Teacher Read Aloud:
Exploring an Educational Tradition Through a Social Practice Framework

By
Karen Boyd

A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of
The University of Manitoba
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Faculty of Education
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg

Copyright © 2013 by Karen Boyd
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Abstract

Teacher read aloud is perceived as a long-standing, common classroom practice. The purpose
of this study was to examine this educational tradition in a framework of literacy as social
practice that supports the ideas of apprenticeship, discourse communities, and specific
contextual-discipline literacies. Using mixed-methods, data was gathered on three major
components of teacher read aloud practice: (1) time spent on read aloud, (2) purpose and text
choice of read aloud, (3) and practices that focused on developing literary understanding
through read aloud. Through these components, the knowledge and beliefs of teachers
regarding teacher read aloud, literacy and literary development, and children’s literature were
examined. Data was gathered through an online survey, logbooks, and interviews. Statistical
and deductive analysis of the data’s quantitative components was conducted; and interview
and open-survey responses were qualitatively analyzed.
Analysis of the data on purpose and text choice suggests children’s literature is being
read aloud in classrooms in ways that may conflate the literacy and literary development of
students, and these ways may model particular types of values and behaviours when reading.
Multiple purposes were identified for read alouds, with informative purposes being the most
common. While the purpose of the read alouds was to inform, fiction texts were dominant
with minimal non-fiction, or discipline-specific texts being used in the content areas. The use
of fiction for informative purposes resulted in limited evidence that teacher read aloud was
used to develop literary understandings. Teachers reported having limited resources for
professional development and limited infrastructure to support effective read aloud.
Findings of this study can be used to inform us that teacher read aloud may be a common
practice in terms of taking place in most classrooms; however, the time invested, both in
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frequency and duration, is limited, giving children minimal opportunities to apprentice into a
reading community. Findings from this study also provide evidence that traditional practices
can continue to be effective, but these practices should be renewed to support better the
current and evolving understandings of literacy and literary exposure. Professional
development and opportunities to reflect on practice could ameliorate this renewal for in-
service and pre-service teachers.
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Table of Contents

Abstract..........................................................................................................................i
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................iii
List of Tables.................................................................................................................vi
List of Figures................................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................viii
Dedication......................................................................................................................ix
Chapter One: Introduction.........................................................................................1
The Researcher..........................................................................................................3
The Effective Read Aloud........................................................................................5
Reading with Purpose..............................................................................................6
Manitoba context................................................................................................10
Purpose of the Study.................................................................................................12
Research Questions and Data Sources......................................................................12
Theoretical Framework.............................................................................................13
Significance of the Study..........................................................................................17
Scope of the Study....................................................................................................17
Overview of the Following Chapters........................................................................18
Chapter Two: Literature Review...............................................................................19
Reading Instruction...................................................................................................19
Current Understandings of Literacy..........................................................................21
Reading instruction and current understandings..................................................22
Read aloud as part of a cultural process...............................................................23
Modeling different types of reading....................................................................24
Reading a variety of texts for different purposes............................................25
Read aloud and disciplinary literacies............................................................27
Becoming a literary reader..............................................................................29
Taking pleasure in reading..............................................................................31
Research Studies on Read aloud...............................................................................34
Research on amount of time invested in read aloud............................................36
Research on the purposes of read aloud...............................................................38
Studies that focus on one aspect of reading....................................................39
Studies that focus on multiple purposes for read aloud..................................40
Research on read aloud for literary reading.........................................................41
Research on teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and practices.....................................48
Children’s Literature in Classrooms.........................................................................52
Summary of the Literature Review...........................................................................55
Chapter Three: Methodology.....................................................................................57
Research Design........................................................................................................58
Context......................................................................................................................69
Procedure..................................................................................................................61
Participants................................................................................................................64
Participants of the survey.....................................................................................64
Logbook participants...........................................................................................67
Data Sources.............................................................................................................69
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Survey..................................................................................................................69
Logbooks..............................................................................................................70
Interviews.............................................................................................................71
Data Analysis............................................................................................................71
Survey data...........................................................................................................72
Written survey responses................................................................................72
Logbook data.......................................................................................................73
Interview data.......................................................................................................74
Validity and Reliability.............................................................................................76
Summary of Methodology........................................................................................77
Chapter Four: Results.................................................................................................78
To What Extent is Read Aloud Used in Classrooms?..............................................79
Implications of extent of read aloud on the theoretical framework.....................80
Survey data on extent of read aloud.....................................................................81
Logbook data on extent of read aloud..................................................................83
Survey open question response and interview data on extent..............................87
Read aloud in relation to other literacy elements.................................................93
Summary of extent of read aloud.........................................................................98
For What Purposes do Teachers Read Aloud?.........................................................99
Implications of purpose in consideration of the theoretical framework..............100
Survey data on purpose of read aloud..................................................................101
Logbook data on the purpose of read aloud.........................................................105
Comparison of logbook and survey data.............................................................109
Open survey question response and interview data on purpose..........................112
Summary of the purposes for read aloud.............................................................116
What are Teachers Reading Aloud...........................................................................119
Implications of text choice in consideration of the theoretical framework.........119
Survey data on text choice...................................................................................120
Logbook data on text choice................................................................................122
Interview data on text choice...............................................................................123
Summary of text choice.......................................................................................125
Is Read Aloud Being Used to Develop Literary Understandings?...........................126
Literary understandings and the theoretical framework......................................127
Survey data on literary understandings................................................................127
Logbook data on literary understandings.............................................................129
Style of author.................................................................................................130
Topic of the book............................................................................................132
Repeated literary element...............................................................................134
Interview data on literary understandings............................................................138
Summary of literary understandings....................................................................141
What do Teachers Know About Read Aloud and How do They Learn?..................141
Author knowledge................................................................................................142
Professional development....................................................................................143
Infrastructure........................................................................................................145
Summary of teacher knowledge...........................................................................149
Summary of Results..................................................................................................149
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Chapter Five: Discussion.............................................................................................152
Significance of the Study Findings in Relation to Pedagogical Practice..................152
Reflect on practice...............................................................................................153
Increase the role of read aloud.............................................................................154
Make better use of read aloud..............................................................................155
Provide a wider variety of texts...........................................................................156
Match text to purpose...........................................................................................158
Teach students to be engaged readers..................................................................160
Balance instruction and assessment.....................................................................162
Provide more professional development..............................................................163
Professional development about reading........................................................163
Professional development about children’s literature.....................................164
Seek out experts...................................................................................................164
Theoretical and Research Implications.....................................................................165
Implications for Future Research..............................................................................169
What can be observed during read aloud?...........................................................169
Observing talk.................................................................................................170
Observing method...........................................................................................170
Why is non-fiction lacking during read aloud?....................................................171
How can literature be used more effectively?......................................................171
What is the impact of the teacher librarian?........................................................172
How can teachers measure the effects of read aloud?.........................................172
Limitations................................................................................................................173
Concluding Remarks.................................................................................................176
References......................................................................................................................177
Children’s Literature Cited............................................................................................191
Appendix A: Survey Questions.....................................................................................194
Appendix B: Logbook Recording Sheet........................................................................200
Appendix C: Interview Guiding Questions....................................................................201
Appendix D: Other Responses to ELA structures.........................................................202
Appendix E: Full List of Authors..................................................................................204
Appendix F: Research Ethics Approval Certificate.......................................................206
Appendix G: Letters of Consent....................................................................................207
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List of Tables

1. Gender of Survey Participants...........................................................................65
2. Location of Schools of Survey Participants.......................................................65
3. Grades of Students Taught by Survey Participants............................................66
4. Years of Teaching Experience of Survey Participants......................................67
5. Description of Logbook Participants.................................................................68
6. Time and Frequency of Read Aloud Sessions Reported in Logbooks..............85
7. The Elements Indicated as Regular Parts of Literacy Programming by Survey
Participants.........................................................................................................94
8. Re-Categorization of “Other” Comments from the Survey Open Question
Responses...........................................................................................................102
9. Purpose of Last Read Aloud Reported by Survey Participants.........................103
10. Categorization of Teacher Comments in the Logbooks...................................108
11. Description of Professional Development Specifically about Children’s
Literature............................................................................................................144
12. Resources that Survey Participants use to Find Children’s Literature..............146
13. Staffing of School Libraries as Reported by Survey Participants......................147
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List of Figures

1. Survey Responses to Time Spent on Read Aloud..............................................82
2. Time Spent on Reading Elements by Survey Participants.................................97
3. Logbook Reported Purposes..............................................................................109
4. Comparison of Logbook and Survey Purposes..................................................110
5. Survey Text Choice............................................................................................121
6. Logbook Text Choice.........................................................................................122
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Acknowledgements

I have many people to thank for teaching and supporting me throughout this process.
I would like to express my appreciation to my committee: my advisor Dr. Karen Smith for
her ongoing support; Dr. Stan Straw for challenging me and expecting me to rise to his
expectations; Dr. David Watt for his thoughtful feedback. I would like to thank Dr. Gregory
Bryan by using the words from The Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful
lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not” (Dr. Seuss, 1971). Finally, I was very honoured to
have Dr. Mavis Reimer be part of this process by serving as external committee member.
Her work with Dr. Perry Nodelman was influential in my thinking.
Thanks to the University of Manitoba Faculty of Graduate Studies for financial
support through the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship.

I am very grateful to the teachers of Manitoba who took the time to share their
thinking and their practice for this study. The increasing complexity of their jobs is
breathtaking, and I am in awe of their commitment to the children of our province.

I was fortunate to share this journey with members of my doctoral co-hort. I have
learned so much from Anita Ens, Allyson Matczuk, and Warren Nickerson. Anita and I
spent many days sitting across from each other at the Millennium Library and those days
were critical in getting this done.
I am so lucky to have family and friends too numerous to name who were very patient
with me. In particular I have to thank my sister Irene for everything and my children;
Maclean, Connor, Graham, and Laura, who kept things in perspective and reminded me
when I needed to “step away from the Lego!” Finally, to Lauchie, we did this together.
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Dedication

To Dad

and

To Dane

Storyteller and Writer