DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES

212 Pages·2012·1.79 MB·English

Running Head: DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES: 1

DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES:
Insights from Implementation and Effects on Reading Abilities and Attitudes.

Juliana Estrada Saldarriaga

Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira
Pereira, 2012
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 2

DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES:
Insights from Implementation and Effects on Reading Abilities and Attitudes.

Juliana Estrada Saldarriaga

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Licenciada en Lengua Inglesa

Supervised by:
Clara Inés Gonzáles Marín, M.A.

Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira
Facultada de Bellas Artes y Humanidades
Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 3

The format of the present paper is based on the APA Rules 6th edition
(As reviewed by the contributors of Purdue Owl, 1999-2012; see References: Paiz et al., 2012
March; Paiz et al., 2012, May; and Paiz et al., 2012, July)
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 4
Abstract

Literacy practices at school that do not balance the importance given to the two domains of
reading (i.e., cognitive and affective) have been thought to be the causes of the phenomenon of
aliteracy in Colombia. Therefore, reading instruction in the school needs to build reading
abilities and promote positive attitudes towards reading.
In order to explore ideas about how reading instruction in the school that focuses on both the
cognitive and the affective domain of reading can be developed, the current study claimed at the
creation of a reading intervention that aimed at boosting positive attitudes towards reading and at
enhancing reading abilities in 4th graders.
The reading intervention included the improvement of some aspects of the reading environment,
and the development of a reading instruction in which scaffolding was provided by means of
dialogic reading before, during and after of reading aloud activities.
The implementation of the reading intervention conceived for the current qualitative research
was explored by means of different data collection methods taking into account the research
questions: What are the benefits of the application of the reading intervention in the development
of attitudes towards reading in Spanish and reading abilities in young learners?, What insights
can be drawn from the design and implementation of the reading intervention?, and What are the
students’ responses towards the different activities included in the reading intervention?.
The analysis of the collected data consisted on categorizing the information and pinpointing
common categories in at least three different research methods (triangulation). The analysis
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 5
pointed out five main findings: (1) Students’ Autonomous Enrollment in Pleasure Reading, (2)
Changes in Aspects of the Reading Environment and Their Impact on the Students’ Perceptions
towards Reading in the Classroom, (3) Facilitator’s Scaffolding in the Enhancement of the
Reading Abilities in Young Learners through Dialogues around Reading, (4) Factors Affecting
Students’ Performance in the Writing Activities, and (5) Facilitator’s Performance and Its
Relation to the Students’ Abilities and to the Students’ and Facilitator’s Motivation
The findings of the current study were enrolled in academic discussion with the reviewed
previous studies conducted in the field of literacy teaching and learning. Moreover, implications
and ideas for coming research and instructions are also exposed.
Key Words: Literacy, Aliteracy, Affective Domain of Reading, Motivation, Reading
Abilities, Reading Aloud, Dialogic Reading, Scaffolding, Facilitator’s Reflection and Peer
Observation.
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 6
Resumen

Las practicas de alfabetización en la escuela que no balancean la importancia dada a los dos
dominios de la lectura (a saber, el dominio afectivo y el dominio cognitivo) han sido pensadas
como las causas en Colombia del fenómeno conocido en inglés como Aliteracy, el cual se refiere
a que las personas aun teniendo la habilidad de leer y escribir no practican estas actividades en su
vida cotidiana. Por consiguiente, la enseñanza de la lectura en la escuela debe construir las
habilidades de lectura y promover actitudes positivas hacia la lectura.
Con la intensión de explorar ideas sobre cómo puede ser desarrollada la enseñanza de la lectura
en la escuela que se enfoque en ambos dominios de la lectura, la presente investigación postuló
la creación de una intervención de lectura que buscó promover actitudes positivas hacia la lectura
y fortalecer las habilidades de lectura en estudiantes de cuarto grado.
La intervención de lectura incluyó mejoramientos en algunos aspectos del ambiente de lectura y
el desarrollo de una instrucción de lectura en la cual los estudiantes fueron proveídos de
andamiaje por medio de la lectura en dialogo antes, durante y después de lecturas en voz alta
La implementación de la intervención de lectura creada para la presente investigación cualitativa
fue examinada por medio de diferentes métodos de recolección de información teniendo en
cuenta las preguntas de investigación: ¿Cuáles son los beneficios de la aplicación de la
intervención de lectura en el desarrollo de las actitudes hacia la lectura y en las habilidades de
lectura en español en niños?, ¿Qué percepciones o entendimientos se pueden extraer del diseño y
de la implementación de la intervención de lectura?, y ¿Cuáles son las respuestas de los
estudiantes hacia las diferentes actividades incluidas en la intervención de lectura?.
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 7
El análisis de los datos recolectados consistió en categorizar la información y señalar categorías
comunes en por lo menos tres de los diferentes métodos de investigación (triangulación). El
análisis arrojó cinco resultados: (1) Acercamiento Autónomo de los Estudiantes en la Lectura por
Placer, (2) Cambios en Aspectos del Ambiente de Lectura y su Impacto en la Percepción de los
Estudiantes hacia la Lectura en el Salón, (3) Andamiaje de la Facilitadora en el Fortalecimiento
de las Habilidades de Lectura de los Estudiantes a través de Diálogos en torno a la Lectura, (4)
Factores que Afectan la Actuación de los Estudiantes en las Actividades de Escritura, y (5) la
Actuación de la Facilitadora y su Relación con Las Habilidades de los Estudiantes y con la
Motivación de los Estudiantes y de la Facilitadora.
Los resultados del presente estudio fueron puestos en una discusión académica con estudios
previos llevados a cabo en el campo de alfabetización. Además, en este documento se exponen
implicaciones e ideas para futuros estudios de investigación e intervenciones de lectura.
Palabras Claves: Alfabetización, Aliteracy, Dominio Afectivo de la Lectura, Motivación,
Habilidades de Lectura, Lectura en Voz Alta, Lectura en Diálogo, Reflexión del Facilitador y
Observación entre Pares.
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 8
Dedication

The efforts, commitment and satisfaction of all this work are entirely dedicated to my brother,
Valentín, whose boundless affection, marvelous company, and unbeatable model have made me
keep on track during these years we have been together.

Also, I want to dedicate this work to my exceptional parents, Diana and Jaime, for their
everlasting love, and their remarkable parental aptitude, and for many unquestionable and
immensurable reasons, but namely for their efforts and urgings to make me see and feel reading
necessary in my life, for their stimulating bed-time reading, and for taking my brother and me to
the library on Fridays afternoon there back in the memorable 90’s!.
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 9
Acknowledgements

This thesis would not have been possible without the people who opened the doors of the
school to allow me be ─for some time─ part of it. Thus, I am grateful with those who endorsed
the implementation of the reading intervention in the school, in particular to the teacher Pureza
Villa. Her kindness, and her constant support made me feel home in an environment that many
have found threatening. I also feel thankful with the children who were part of the intervention,
especially with those who received me literally with big hugs every time I went to the school.
Their sweetness and motivation did not give space to regrets on having chosen them the children
to whom I read.
Moreover, I acknowledge the initiation in research given by Professor Angela Lopez,
with whom I sadly shared a limited amount of moments during the period of time she stayed at
university. Not only her work and her commitment influenced me significantly, but also her
words “I’m proud of you” raised myself teem and encouraged me to continue with my never
ending learning and my professional development processes.
Additionally and equally important, this thesis would not have been completed without
the help and advising that Professor Clara Inés Gonzales provided me during the research
process. For having given me some space in her busy agenda, for her supportive comments and
feedback, and for making my mood stronger when I was feeling stuck, I owe her more than the
written thanks compiled in these acknowledgements.
I thank life for having given me the opportunity to meet Pureza Villa, Angela Lopez, and
Clara Gonzales, from whom I also learned the meaning of being a teacher and I was able to have
a further approach to the passion that teaching needs, deserves, and involves. They three are
DIALOGIC READING IN READING ALOUD ACTIVITIES 10
models to follow in the professional field, not only because of their academic level and mastered
experience, but also, and more important, because of their incomparable responsibility and their
impressive devotion to their occupations.
Besides, I am grateful with the lucky chance I had to meet my three best peers during
these years at university. Without their friendship, I could not have accomplished not only this
thesis, but also other challenges that came out during the learning process in the degree program.
Therefore, I give special thanks to Carmen Rodas, for her remarkable altruism and her constant
discipline and determination. I also grant my gratitude to my friend Raúl Pelaez for having
listened to me so many innumerable times, for being ears and a great counselor, and for his
exemplary commitment towards the academic and work duties. Lastly, I thank Juan Hoyos for
his scaffolding during the beginning of this research process, and for his unique support during
the implementation of the reading intervention; without him I would not have learned as much as
I did out from this experience. I am also grateful with him for our funny strange talks about one
world or another that entertained me a lot and helped me understand and perceived things
differently. To the three of them, I wish marvelous academic, professional, personal and spiritual
lives full of success, balance, and happiness. I hope to reattribute them for their friendship any
time they need.
Furthermore, this research process, as well as my academic development at university
would not have led the results they have produced so far without the borderless accompaniment
of my most beloved relatives and of my darling parents and brother. All of them are on Earth the
means through which I have received the strength and love that god has saved for me. To them I
express my gratitude, I feel lucky to be able to count with such wonderful people. I wish to each
of them a long and blessed life.