Advisory Committee Chair
Jerry Aldridge
Advisory Committee Members
Maryann Manning
Lois Christensen
Lynn Kirkland
Richard Allington
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2007
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
The purpose of these multiple descriptive case studies was to describe and analyze the perspectives of three third grade classroom teachers and two third grade reading coaches regarding the use of informational texts and their influence on reading instruction. The research design involved interviews, and observations using a sample composed of three third grade classroom teachers and two third grade reading coaches in five urban, public elementary schools in the Southeastern United States. The aim of this research was to portray a vivid description of the reading episodes in third grade classrooms. The key findings from the study were that (a) teachers utilized informational texts during read-alouds, shared reading, and guided reading; (b) students had a higher engagement level when using informational texts; (c) teachers often used informational texts with struggling readers to build background knowledge and vocabulary; and (d) teachers used informational texts to prepare students for standardized tests. It was anticipated that these authentic descriptions would breathe life into existing research of how students learn to read. This process exposed inconsistency in reading research, and brought new insight for both classroom practitioners and researchers to consider. More importantly, the study was designed to benefit the educational community, reading scholars, policy makers, and my guiding beacon, children.
Recommended Citation
Martin, Dimple J., "Teaching Reading Using Informational Texts In Third Grade Classrooms: A Case Study In An Urban School District" (2007). All ETDs from UAB. 3754.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3754