Beyond Reading: Texts Use in Classroom and the Construction of Barriers to the School Context

• In Event: Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: Social Influences on Learning

Abstract

In this mixed method study, the author investigates how the typical texts in a social studies middle school classroom relate to students’ unequal experiences with reading. Using data from Moje’s ALD study, the author examines students’ perceptions of their literacy practices contribute to the construction of barriers to the classroom context. When individual students face barriers, they must overcome the added challenge in order to meet the demands of the classroom; these struggles inhibit their access to opportunities to learn. Armed with a better understanding of what influences students’ experiences with reading, educators can design more effective conditions in the classroom that stimulate more students reading and broader access to the benefits of schooling.

Author

• Kelly McMahon, University of Michigan