Read-aloud activities in the kindergarten: The structure of kindergarten read-aloud events and the place of such read-aloud events in the kindergarten curriculum
Robinson, Lynda Stratman
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/23817
Description
Title
Read-aloud activities in the kindergarten: The structure of kindergarten read-aloud events and the place of such read-aloud events in the kindergarten curriculum
Author(s)
Robinson, Lynda Stratman
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Pearson, P. David
Department of Study
Education, Language and Literature
Education, Early Childhood
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Discipline
Education, Language and Literature
Education, Early Childhood
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Language and Literature
Education, Early Childhood
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Language
eng
Abstract
The purpose of this observational study was to examine how read-aloud events fit into the kindergarten curriculum, how these read-aloud events were conducted, and how teacher decisions about read-aloud events were made.
Although all teachers had a time set aside to read to children, they also integrated read-aloud events into sharing time, academic worktime, and calendar time. They read to children whenever there was extra time, or when a child requested information.
Most classrooms were rich in displays of charts, children's writing, posters, mobiles of words and phrases, and signs identifying classroom objects such as desks and chairs. Books, writing materials and computers were also available for children's use during free time.
When teachers read to children, they interacted with children in three main ways. Either they asked questions, elaborated on the text, or allowed children to finish a sentence which the teacher had begun reading.
The teacher began the discussion, but most of the information and discussion came from the children. Children's responses were often lengthy. They drew upon home, school, and other book experiences to discuss the read-aloud event. These events were seen by teachers as a chance to promote language development as well as to allow the children to learn that reading can be for pleasure.
Texts for read-aloud events consisted primarily of narratives, but expository text was also used. For both narrative and expository text, prereading discussion concentrated upon the development of background knowledge, during reading discussion concentrated upon text comprehension and concept development, and postreading discussion focussed upon retelling and evaluation of text, relating text to the children's experiences, and upon follow-up activities which were related to the text.
Decisions for what to do with a read-aloud event were primarily affected by the teacher's philosophy. This philosophy was determined by coursework that the teacher had taken in college, but also by experience with children, by inservice workshops, and by journal reading. To a lesser degree, district mandates and the time constraints of a 150-minute school day affected decisions for what would be done in any given classroom.
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