| Summary: | This study examined the perceptions of reading aloud to
students in intermediate and secondary classrooms. It was
anticipated that teachers who read aloud and students who
are read to would identify a number of positive outcomes of
the practice. The key informants, eight British Columbia
English or Language Arts teachers of Grades Five to 12, were
interviewed using a series of probe questions. The
interviews were tape recorded and then written notes were
made. The students in the teachers' classes were asked for
their thoughts about being read to; 178 written responses
were received. The thoughts of the teachers and the
students were analysed and discussed. Comparisons were made
between the views of the teachers, the students and the
professional literature. Similar categories emerged from
all three sources.
Among the values of reading aloud most mentioned by teachers
were pleasure, motivation to read, exposure to books and
authors, use as a springboard to instruction, and increased
comprehension. Students most frequently mentioned the
development of imagination, the quality of the reader's
performance, that reading aloud makes text easier to understand, and that listening is calming and relaxing. The
most important outcome of reading aloud mentioned by
teachers was pleasure and by students was relaxation and
calm. The materials chosen to read aloud were almost
entirely various forms of literature.
The study concluded that reading aloud to older students is
perceived to enhance comprehension and develop imagination,
provides exposure to books and authors, is a useful link to
instructional strategies, plays an important role in
classroom management, provides pleasure to readers and
listeners, and is enhanced by the oral reading skill of the
teacher.
It was recommended that teachers read aloud to intermediate
and secondary students and that teachers increase their
awareness and utilization of the variety of benefits which
can result from the practice.
There are many recommendations for further related research,
such as long-term studies, investigation of teacher and
student perceptions of specific areas such as the
development of imagination, and the investigation of the
value of reading aloud to ESL students. === Education, Faculty of === Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of === Graduate
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