Navigating through our bumps on the road to reading : A multi-case analysis of how literature -based response experiences inform and influence pre -service teachers\u27 reading perceptions

The purpose of the study was to present multiple perspectives (multi-case design) that define pre-service teachers reading perceptions. This study sought to understand prior experiences that defined pre-service teachers\u27 reading perceptions and to understand how response-based explorations in a children\u27s literature course informed and influenced their existing perceptions of reaDing This study employed a qualitative methodology and was framed by reader response, teacher knowledge and preparation literature, and a socio-constructivist perspective. Data sources included pre- and post-course interviews, course assignments, participant\u27s reflection journals, and researcher\u27s log with analytical memos. Open and axial coding as described by Strauss and Corbin (1998) were utilized to uncover the prior experiences and influence of response-based exploration on pre-service teachers\u27 perceptions of reading; Study findings suggest that pre-service teachers do enter into their preparation programs with a wide variety of experiences that have already influenced their beliefs and perceptions of reaDing Regardless of previous studies stating that teacher education courses often do not make a difference for pre-service teachers, and that they often revert to teach the way they were taught, this was not revealed to be the case. The multi-case study findings indicate that pre-service teachers\u27 perceptions of reading can be influenced through reflection on their prior experiences, participation in response-based explorations, and through exposure of multiple-perspectives with fellow students and the course instructor. It is here where pre-service teachers\u27 serious consideration of the role of children\u27s literature as a literary form in their own lives, as well as those of their future students, becomes a reality

GJR Volume 37 Number 1 Spring 2014

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Spring 2014 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 4) President’s Page by Loleta Sartin (pg. 5) Quantum Shifts by Gerald Boyd (pg. 6) Literacy Coaching: Providing Leadership and Support for the Next Generation of Teachers by Katie Stover and Crystal Glover (pg. 8) Significance of Prior Knowledge Activation: A Close Look at a Bilingual Kindergarten Student’s Response to a Poem by Alma Stevenson (pg. 14) The Effect of Explicit Instruction with Writing Conventions Among Preservice Teachers by Laurie A. Sharp (pg. 18) Tacky and a Tambourine: Enhancing First Grade Literacy Through Music by Nancy McBride Arrington (pg. 23) Reading the Visual: An Introduction to Teaching Multimodal Literacy (Book Review) by Shannon Howrey (pg. 27)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1005/thumbnail.jp

Patrilateral Bias among a Traditionally Egalitarian People: Ju/\u27hoansi Naming Practice

The Ju/\u27hoansi (!Kung) of Namibia and Botswana are unusual for the strong norm to name children exclusively for kin and primarily for grandparents. Naming carries important significance by linking the two namesakes and because names are a basis for extending fictive kin links. In the 1950s Lorna Marshall reported that the father has the right to name children and that he invariably named them for the paternal grandparents, although having the option of naming children born later for his wife\u27s parents. The authors used a large database of genealogical information that was collected nearly concurrently with Marshall\u27s report to test the strength of the naming rule and found that approximately 70 per cent of men name the first-born son or daughter for their own parent of the child\u27s gender. The degree of compliance is of interest because it falls short of 100 per cent. However, analysis of the naming patterns reveals a strong patrilateral bias in naming for the paternal rather than the maternal grandparents. This type of gender and unilateral bias is not normally reported for Ju/\u27hoansi, who are otherwise described as gender egalitarian and bilateral in most customary practices

GJR Volume 36 Number 2 Fall 2013

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Fall 2013 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 4) President’s Page by Loleta Sartin (pg. 5) Helping Strugling Readers Track Their Own Learning Growth by Susan Szabo (pg. 6) The ABCs of Literacy: Creating Excitement About Learning Through Reading, Writing and Poetry in an Early Learning College Literacy Session by Anne Katz (pg. 11) Close Reading of Informational Texts: Assessment-Driven Instruction in Grades 3-8 by Lina B. Soares and Christine A. Draper (pg. 17) Teaching Academic Vocabulary K-8: Effective Practices Across the Curriculum by Christine A. Draper and Lina B. Soares (pg. 20)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1003/thumbnail.jp

Patrilateral Bias among a Traditionally Egalitarian People: Ju/\u27hoansi Naming Practice

The Ju/\u27hoansi (!Kung) of Namibia and Botswana are unusual for the strong norm to name children exclusively for kin and primarily for grandparents. Naming carries important significance by linking the two namesakes and because names are a basis for extending fictive kin links. In the 1950s Lorna Marshall reported that the father has the right to name children and that he invariably named them for the paternal grandparents, although having the option of naming children born later for his wife\u27s parents. The authors used a large database of genealogical information that was collected nearly concurrently with Marshall\u27s report to test the strength of the naming rule and found that approximately 70 per cent of men name the first-born son or daughter for their own parent of the child\u27s gender. The degree of compliance is of interest because it falls short of 100 per cent. However, analysis of the naming patterns reveals a strong patrilateral bias in naming for the paternal rather than the maternal grandparents. This type of gender and unilateral bias is not normally reported for Ju/\u27hoansi, who are otherwise described as gender egalitarian and bilateral in most customary practices

GJR Volume 36 Number 1 Spring 2013

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Spring 2013 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Lina Soares and Christine Draper (pg. 4) President’s Page by Lynn C. Minor (pg. 5) The Cognitive Psychology of Multiple Text Comprehension: What Can Educators Garner from the Literature by Tracy Linderholm (pg. 6) Middle School Literacy Coaches: Perceptions of Roles and Responsibilities by Katie Stover (pg. 11) Revitalizing Word Walls for High School English Learners: Conventional and Digital Opportunities for Learning New Words by Janis Harmon, Lucretia Fraga, Elizabeth Martin and Karen Wood (pg. 20) Literacy Gains through Digital Documentaries: A Photo Essay by Jabari Cain, Brent Daigle and Donna Lester Taylor (pg. 29) DECAL: A Strategy for Collaborative Literature Discussions by Lina Soares and April Newkirk (pg. 33)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1004/thumbnail.jp

GJR Volume 35 Number 1 Fall 2012

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Fall 2012 issue includes: Message From the Editors by Lina Soares and Christine Draper (pg.4) President’s Page by Lynn C. Minor (pg. 5) Integrating Mathematics and Reading Fluency Instruction in the Primary Grades by Ryan Nivens, Lori Meier, Michael Brikell, and Edward J. Dwyer (pg. 6) Visual Literacy: A Picture Can Be Worth Ten Thousand Words by Stacy Delacruz (pg. 12) Using Interactive Whiteboards to Enhance the Writing Process by Laura Ely and Jerilou Moore (pg. 18) Teacher Influence on Book Selection of Third Grade Students by Shelia Delony and Katie Hathorn (pg. 24) Schema and Scaffolding: Testing Advance Organizers’ Effect on Secondary Students’ Reading Comprehension by Joshua Cuevas (pg. 29)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1002/thumbnail.jp

Encouraging Preservice Teachers to Utilize Graphic Novels as Resources in Content Areas

This presentation highlights a qualitative study conducted to explore the potential impact graphic novels have on classroom education. The study addressed specific questions to gain better understanding of preservice teachers’ perceptions and knowledge of graphic novels as well as, how graphic novels can be used as classroom resources in each content area. There were fifteen preservice teachers involved in the study. Findings revealed that preservice teachers agreed that graphic novels were a powerful tool to engage students in content material, and utilizing them as a resource will allow teachers to conduct meaningful learning in all content areas. Two undergraduate preservice teachers worked as research assistants on this project as a way to introduce them to the procedures of educational research. Teacher action research is an essential method for educational practitioners to engage in the assessment and improvement of their own practice, helping the teacher to reconsider their teaching methods or to adapt in order to solve a problem

GJR Volume 38 Number 1 Spring 2015

The Georgia Journal of Reading\u27s Spring 2015 issue includes: Message from the Editors by Dr. Christine A. Draper and Dr. Lina B. Soares (pg. 4) President’s Page by Dr. Beth Pendergraft (pg.5) . Middle School Literacy Coaches: Perceptions of Roles and Responsibilities by Dr. Katie Stover and Dr. Maryann Mraz (pg. 6) An Analysis of Teachers’ Discourse and Their Perceptions Concerning the Use of Questioning and Feedback During Reading Instruction In Third-Grade Classrooms by Dr. Marie Holbein and Dr. Jennifer Farist (pg. 15) Reading, Motivation, and the Power of Social Relationships: Learning from Middle School Students in a Title I Reading Classroom by Dr. Trevor Thomas Stewart and Dr. Emily Pendergrass (pg. 25) How Can Teachers Motivate Reluctant Readers? by Dr. Maggie Lehman (pg. 32) Dictionary Projects: A Defining Moment in Literacy by Beverly A. McKenna and Beverly A. Strauser (pg. 40)https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gjrarchive/1006/thumbnail.jp

Using Children\u27s and Young Adult Literature in College Classrooms

Using a children’s book or YA novel as an introduction, or a piece to draw students’ attention to a particular topic can harness the power of emotions help our students connect with, learn, and retain course material more deeply (Cavanagh, 2016). While the plot-line of children’s books may appear simple, the issues addressed can be quite complex. The newest wave of children’s literature addresses a wide range of socially sensitive topics such as racism, poverty, death, gender identity, police brutality, war, and immigration (Johnson, 2014) and often does so in a way that invites discussion rather than foreclosing it. Though it is not commonly viewed as appropriate material for the college level, children’s literature can put a “face” on any given subject (Carter, 2012), encourage critical thinking (Frey & Fisher, 2008), enhance motivation (Versaci, 2009), and provide a safe context to discuss sensitive topics.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1127/thumbnail.jp