Classroom+Storybook+Reading

 Martinez, M. G., & Teale, W. H. (1989). Classroom storybook reading: the creation of texts and learning opportunities. //Theory into Practice, 28//(2), 126-135. Retrieved July 17, 2009, from Wilson Web.


 * Quotes || Reaction ||
 * 1. "In the course of working in classrooms with teachers we noticed interesting variations in storybooks reading in different classrooms. The differences were sometimes so striking that we decided to study systematically the phenomenon of teacher storybook reading style." (p. 126)

2. "Though teacher storybook readings by no means constitute the range of literary experiences of the young child, they are a significant aspect of that experience. In this article we attempt to elucidate the notion of storybook reading style of describing the three teachers' reading of one book, //Strega Nona// (dePaola, 1975). All the teachers were experienced kindergarten teachers who were rated by their school districts and colleagues as good teachers. Storybook reading was a teacher-directed activity in each of the classrooms." (p. 127)

3. "Although storybook reading style is clearly a multifaceted phenomenon, three aspects proved especially significant in our investigations of teacher's talk during the storybook reading style: (a) the focus of the teacher's talk during the storybook reading experience, (b) the type of information the teacher encouraged children to deal with during the storybook reading; and (c) the teacher's use of instructional strategies to organize and manage interactions (Teale & Martinez, 1986; Teale et al., 1989)." (p. 127)

4. "Three questions about story features helped elucidate difference in teacher storybook reading style: (a) How extensively did the teachers focus on important story information? (b) What portions of the story did the teachers emphasize? and (c) What were the categories of important story information that the teachers emphasized?" (p. 127-128)

5. "We have identified seven different instructional strategies that teachers use during storybook reading events: (a) eliciting (seeking to obtain known information from the students), (b) inviting (extending an open-ended invitation to share ideas), (c) informing (telling students information), (d) reviewing (reexamining the story in its entirety or from its beginning up to the point where reading was stopped), (e) recapitulating (restating textual information that was read in the segment of the text immediately prior to the point at which the teacher stopped reading), (f) eliciting reading (attempting to induce the students to read part of the text), and (g) reacting to text (sharing an affective response to the story with the students). (p. 131)

6. "The storybook reading styles evidenced by Baxter, Murchison, and Herrera in reading //Strega Nona// were clearly divergent, and these differences proved consistent across their reading of three additional stories. Because of this consistency, we believe it is important to raise questions about the effects of storybook reading styles on children's literacy development. Features of a teacher's style may well be internalized by the student and in turn influence the way the student approaches and interacts with subsequent stories. However, this is not to suggest that one style is necessarily better than another. Rather, teachers with different styles may move their students along somewhat different paths in their literacy development." (p. 131)

7. "Storybook reading events are clearly interactive experiences and the adult storybook reader plays a key role in mediating the text for children. Yet our work and the work of other researchers (e.g., Dickinson & Keebler, in press) has revealed that different adults mediate stories in different ways. This, in turn, suggests that different ends may be accomplished during storybook reading when different readers mediate the experience." (p. 133) || 1. The authors stated that teachers maintain their own style of reading regardless of text. This is so interesting. Perhaps this is because teachers become used to teaching certain strategies with each read-aloud. I wonder if teachers can train themselves to include other types of questions and strategies in their read-alouds.

5. If teachers are conscious of the ways in which they can extend read-alouds, they may be more likely to include a variety of strategies.

6. Each of the three teachers focused on a different part of the text. Their students benefitted from this exmphasis. However, the students did not learn about other strategies that their teachers did not stress. ||  Tags: read-aloud, elementary school, research, reading aloud effectively