Young Children's Experiences With Literacy
This interpretive classroom-based research explored literacy experiences of a small group of good and poor readers from a broad perspective. Data were collected in 2004 over two academic semesters in two different public elementary schools in two cities in the Midwest. Data sources include observations, interviews, questionnaires, classroom profile sheets, and students' journal samples. The similarities and differences between the literacy experiences of the good and poor readers were examined and presented from multiple perspectives. The teachers' and principals' perceptions of literacy in relation to the importance of literacy and the factors affecting students' success or failure in literacy were also examined. Research findings indicate that the importance of literacy from the teachers' and principals' perspective lies mainly in its academic and functional values and much less in its experiential value. The factors identified by the teachers and principals affecting student's success or failure in literacy fall into four main categories: (a) child-related factors, (b) family- and home-life-related factors, (c) institutional factors, and (d) sociocultural factors. Factors within the first two categories were stressed more than the last two by the teachers and the principals. The limitations and implications of the research for literacy policy, practice, and research are discussed.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign