Date of Award

Fall 10-2-2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Bradley Smith

Second Advisor

Julia Kirk

Third Advisor

Chessica Cave

Abstract

Beginning in the 1950s, learning to read was a major focus in elementary schools. Children typically began their reading journey with listening skills. Hearing sounds for letters, then words, come to life from the pages of a book were engaging to children. One way teachers engaged students in learning to read was to read aloud to them in their classrooms. Typically, teachers in Kindergarten through 2nd grade (K-2) read aloud fiction storybooks. I conducted this basic qualitative interpretive study to research teachers’ perceptions of reading aloud informational texts to students in their K-2 classrooms. There was a gap in the studies I reviewed about the perceptions of teachers in K-2 classrooms reading aloud and reading aloud informational texts. I used the theory of instructional scaffolding as the framework for this basic qualitative interpretive study. Participants in the study were K-2 teachers from two southeast Tennessee school districts. After six participants completed questionnaires, three themes were identified. I discovered K-2 teachers supported reading aloud informational texts to their students. All participants perceived reading aloud informational texts as challenging and often not engaging enough for their K-2 students. Teachers’ perceptions were affected by the time and information available to them to implement reading aloud informational texts in their K-2 classrooms. This study was a foundational study as it could be used for future researchers exploring K-2 teachers’ perceptions of reading aloud informational texts in their classrooms.

Keywords

elementary education, reading aloud, informational texts, instructional scaffolding

Download

Share

COinS