Danielle’s Conversation With Text: Life Around Literature in an After-School Program for Middle School Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Pushing Methodological Boundaries

Abstract

The act of reading is beyond a mere transfer of ideas from text to reader. In this paper, I present the experiences of Danielle, a middle school student in an afterschool program, entitled Reading Through Drama. During this eight-month study, I drew upon participant observation and narrative inquiry as methods to explore the students’ experiences and my experiences as their teacher. I aimed to discover ways of facilitating students’ evocation of texts and to bring to light the varying dimensions of their transactions with texts. I seek to validate Danielle's voice by presenting her experiences and inviting readers to consider what her voice implies for future literacy curricula.

Author

• Gina M. Paese, New York City Department of Education