Children's Responses to Global Literature Read Alouds in a Second Grade Classroom Dissertation ...

201 Pages·2012·1.22 MB·English

Children’s Responses to Global Literature Read Alouds in a Second Grade
Classroom

Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor
of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By

Angela C. Rietschlin, M.Ed.

Graduate Program in Education

The Ohio State University

2012

Dissertation Committee:

Dr. Linda Parsons, Advisor

Dr. Jeane Copenhaver-Johnson

Dr. Barbara Lehman

Dr. Evelyn Freeman
Copyright by

Angela C. Rietschlin

2012
Abstract
The purpose of this three month long case study was to explore five children’s responses
to global children’s literature in one second grade classroom. Qualitative methods
including participant observation, audio recording, research journaling, informal
interviewing and artifact collection were used to answer the following questions: (1) In
one second grade classroom, how does a focus group of children respond to global
children’s literature shared in picturebook read alouds? (2) What evidence of global
learning do children offer? I wanted to see how these responses might affirm the call for
using global children’s literature as an instructional tool, specifically to introduce
children to cultures they might not otherwise come into contact with. Also, as an
instructional tool, how might these children’s responses and evidence of global learning
shed light on using global children’s literature to meet curricular learning objectives?
Over the course of the study I found that children used response styles similar to those
response styles described in research about children’s responses to culturally generic
books. In their responses, the children in this study expressed global understandings,
misunderstandings, showed evidence of global learning, and responded with empathy
toward the global characters. Within the children’s responses there was also evidence of
learning that met curricular goals in social studies and language arts.
Keywords: global children’s literature, elementary students, reader response
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Dedication
Dedicated to all people from south of the Ohio River

iii
Acknowledgements
First I would like to thank Dr. Jeane Copenhaver-Johnson for including me in her
work with responses to read alouds. She has provided me with help, encouragement, and
support with all of my graduate school endeavors. She is the reason I ever pursued a
graduate degree and quite possibly is the reason I ever remained in the teaching
profession.
Second, I would like to thank Dr. Barbara Lehman for introducing me to global
children’s literature. This body of literature has enriched my life as well as my students’
lives. She has reminded me that you do not need to get on an airplane to see the world.
Third, I would like to thank Dr. Linda Parsons and Dr. Evelyn Freeman for taking
me on in the final leg of my journey. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty
to help me finish my dissertation work. The addition of these two on my committee kept
me from feeling discouraged and motivated me to keep going.
Last I would like to thank Erma and Bruce Johnson for all the childcare help and
encouragement. I would like to thank Sam, Elizabeth and Karen for providing me with
workspace and joy while going on this eight year journey. Finally, I would like to thank
Donald “Jeffrey” Johnson and Virginia Smith for motivating me to pursue my dreams
and reminding me of how precious our time is here on earth.

iv
Vita
1993…………………………Plymouth High School
1997…………………………B.A. Spanish, The Ohio State University
2001…………………………M.Ed. Elementary Education, The Ohio State University
2004 to present………………Graduate Student, Department of Education,
The Ohio State University
Publications
Copenhaver- Johnson, Bowman, J.T., & Johnson, A. C. (2007). Santa stories: Children’s
inquiry about race during picturebook read-alouds. Language Arts,84(3), 234-243.
Copenhaver-Johnson, J., Bowman, J., & Rietschlin, A. J. (2009). Culturally responsive
read-alouds in first grade: Drawing upon children’s languages and cultures to
facilitate literacy and social understandings. In Scott, J. C., Straker, D. Y., & L.
Katz (eds.), Affirming student’s rights to their own language: Bridging language
policies and pedagogical practices (pp.206-218). New York: Routledge.
Rietschlin, A. (2010). Classroom vignette: International literature bags. In B.A. Lehman,
E. B. Freeman, & P.L. Scharer, Reading globally, K-8: Connecting students to the
world through literature (pp.77-78). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Field of Study
Major Field: Education
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Table of Contents
Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ii
Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................. iv
Vita .................................................................................................................................... v
List of Tables ................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1: Introduction……………................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2: Review of Literature……………………………............................................19
Chapter 3: Method.............................................................................................................65
Chapter 4: Children’s Responses……………………………………………………….110
Chapter 5: Summary and Discussion…………………………………………………...152
References………………………………………………………………………………177

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List of Tables
Table 1. Books Used as Read Alouds in the Study……………………………………..…102
Table 2. General Response Categories to Global Children’s Literature….…………..113

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Chapter 1
Introduction

The Nature of the Problem
The demographics of the United States classrooms are changing rapidly reflecting
our changing population. Traditionally, the oldest historical groups that have in large part
made up the United States population were identified as non-Hispanic Whites, non
Hispanic Blacks, American Indians, and Native Alaskans (Grieco, 2009). These
populations maintained a natural increase, i.e. not through immigration, up until the
1970s. The population in the United States self-identifying as White non-Hispanic was 76
percent in 1970. By 2007 the percentage identifying as White non-Hispanic in the United
States was 66 percent of the total population (Grieco, 2009). Grieco cites changing
immigration laws for the change in demographics. She notes that, “New waves of
immigrants began arriving in the United States following amendments to the Immigration
Act in 1965 that abolished the national origins quota system…” (pp. 1-2). Greico further
explains that the abolishment of the quota resulted in a change from the traditionally large
number of European immigrants to a large number of immigrants from Latin America
and Asia. Greico (2009) argues that statistically, “In 2007, there were 38.1 million
foreign born people in the United States, representing 1 in 8 residents” (p. 9). Of the 38.1
million foreign born, 80 percent were born in Latin America or Asia.
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Although the faces of the student population continue to change, the way children
are instructed and the content that they are learning does not appear to be keeping up with
that pace. Cochran-Smith (2004) estimates that students of color will make up fifty-seven
percent of the student population in the United States by the year 2050. I have taught for
ten years and despite these changes in population have seen very little change in our
state-mandated curriculum other than the shuffling of content between grade levels (e.g.,
matter being taught at first grade is now taught at the third grade level).
The changing face of our population warrants a need to examine what educators
are doing in the classroom to affirm and accommodate our students as well as to educate
our students about global cultures. In addition to meeting the needs of our diverse
learners, the beliefs and perspectives about diverse populations that are held by our native
born students also need to be examined. There is a need in the educational community to
recognize that our changing demographics call for an increased emphasis on cultural
diversity in our educational tools while delivering curriculum that enables our students to
be successful learners and cooperative citizens in the broader world outside of their
classrooms.
Although the goals of global education are evolving, some consistent themes are
in the field. Bourke (2009) states that, “The five learning emphases that reflect recurring
themes in global education are interdependence and globalism; identity and cultural
diversity; social justice and human rights; peace building and conflict resolution; and
sustainable futures” (p. 34). These learning emphases are relevant considering our
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