Toward (De)marginalization of Preservice Teachers With Reading Disabilities: A Multimodal Approach

• In Event: 73.037 - Beyond Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic: Engaging Content Instruction in the Lives of Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of a group of undergraduate preservice teachers with reading disabilities engaged in multimodal literacies. Many of our preservice teachers experienced verbocentric, traditional forms of teaching within their literacy development. Traditional forms of literacy instruction limit access to potentially beneficial semiotic resources found within multimodal texts. Students with reading disabilities may feel marginalized due to inability to access traditional forms of text. Affordances contained in multimodal literacy experiences provide a means for students to privilege semiotic modes most likely to increase meaning making. Additionally, this study explores the implications of facilitating a multimodal environment among preservice teachers with reading disabilities in a teacher preparation literacy course.

Authors

• Julia Hagge, University of South Florida

• Margaret Billings Krause, University of South Florida