Teaching reading comprehension

from a Vygotskian perspective

PhD project

Yvonne van Rijk

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Prof. dr. Monique Volman Prof. dr. Bert van Oers Dr. Dorian de Haand

• difficulties in understanding discipline-specific content of

texts

• reading comprehension is most frequently taught as a

program-driven whole-class activity with a focus on

reading strategies (PIRLS 2006)

• reading informative texts is considered „dull‟ and

„uninteresting‟ by students and teachers alike

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Problem definition

Reading theory

• meta-analysis of reading research base (Snow, 2002)

• central to effective approaches is: Reading for Meaning (RfM)

• content-based approaches

• definition of Reading Comprehension:

“the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through

interaction and involvement with text” (Snow, 2002, p. 11)

• reading motivation is important

Reading motivation:

• „Engagement perspective‟ (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000)

• Guthrie (2004) has elaborated on motivation distinguishing 5 motivators

• importance of motivation enhancement (Guthrie, McRae & Lutz-Klauda,

2007)

Sociocultural theory

• „Meaning‟ always has 2 dimensions:

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(Van Oers, 2009; John-Steiner, 2002)

personal meaning (sense)

- emotions, motives (affect)

sociocultural meaning

- participation

• Communication with others is the social basis

• Language is the central (cultural) tool

• Reading (and writing) are forms of communication, with speaking

and listening

Meaningful learning is the process connecting a person to the

cultural world as it has developed from history.

Developmental Education (DE)

• Developmental goals

• Engagement and meaningful learning are leading principles

• Community of inquiry (Wells, 2000)

• Reading is driven by students‟ questions

• Reading is personally meaningful (interest) and culturally

meaningful (common purpose of participation in a socio-cultural

practice)

Aim and Research question

The aim of the study is twofold:

• an elaboration of the concept of „meaningful‟ in sociocultural theory

• a description of how RfM is addressed in classroom practice from a

sociocultural perspective

Research question:

• When considering informative texts, how is Reading for Meaning

enacted in schools for DE in fourth-grade classroom practice?

Example of DE classroom practice

Method

Multiple case-study

• participants:

5 experienced 4th grade teachers of DE

• data collection:

interviews, classroom observations, documents (for triangulation)

• data analysis:

qualititave analysis (Atlas.ti 6.2)

Motivational components

(Guthrie, 2004)

• Relevance

• Choice

• Success

• Collaboration

• Integration

Results

Developmental Education

„deeper‟ : + emotions, motives

„richer‟: + participation

- Relevance enhancement precedes reading instruction

- „prepare a bath‟ of Relevance

- provide strategy-instruction when needed

- focus (or „sensitivity‟) towards engagement

Reading for Meaning

interest, prior knowledge, purpose

Relevance

10

Developmental Education

- Choice is based on students‟ questions:

students experience having Choice

- Shared Control:

- teacher as a partner

- student „ownership‟ of questions

Reading for Meaning

Shared Control by limited Choice of subtopics and texts

Choice

11

Developmental Education

focus and skills for ZPD

diagnose

skillfully adjust to students‟ needs for strategy-instruction

Reading for Meaning

realistic goal setting, appropriate texts,

feedback on successful comprehension

Success

12

Developmental Education organic part of sociocultural approach

community of inquiry:

- teacher is a partner

- students are active participants (expert groups)

- read texts written by peers

- classroom conversations

- common purpose

Reading for Meaning

feeling of belonging to a group

Collaboration

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Developmental Education

no distinctive subject-matters

full integration of all activities

around meaningful content, incl.

- developmental goals

- all language activities (reading, writing, talk)

reading instruction and support when needed

reading is a fully integrated, functional activity

Reading for Meaning

reading strategies combined with subject-matters

Integration

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Circle of developmental aims for the

upper elementary grades (Van Oers)

Conclusion

Teaching Reading

Comprehension is

“ a highly dynamic

and opportunistic

proces” (Snow, 2002)

Illustration: Dick Bruna

Reading for Meaning meaning construction refers to conceptual knowledge

building

Sociocultural theory and practice „deeper‟ and „richer‟ interpretation of meaning incl. - emotions and personal motives (affect)

- scope of identity- and cultural development by participation