Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-309).

Abstract The aim of this study is to explore how some teachers work with reading comprehension of factualtexts in grade two. The study also analyzes how these teachers teach reading strategies and how theymotivate their students to read factual texts. The data were collected through observations andinterviews and the findings shows that the socio-cultural perspective is the basis of the teachers´classroom. The teachers use reading comprehension strategies in their teaching but the students arenot aware of these strategies when they read and understand a text on their own. The teachers use avariety of activities, e.g. videos, photos and texts, to motivate their students to read factual texts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alberta, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references and index.

<p>“ if you only read the book … you get the knowledge into your head once. If you talk about it, you get a more distinct memory of it, I think” (Emma, 11)</p><p>This thesis shows how a novel by Maj Bylock, Drakskeppet, was used in education within thematic work, the Viking Age, among ten-year-olds and eleven-year-olds for five weeks. The aim of the project was to investigate if and how pupils create or develop an historical consciousness when they had written and talked about the text in a novel. The study examines and analyses how three pupils in particular look upon history and ‘time’ in this process and if identification with characters in the novel takes place.</p><p>In the theoretical framework, which focuses on Judith Langer and her theories on ‘envisionment building’, that is on how children create text worlds , a general survey presents research findings about how children (10-12 years) interpret fiction. Furthermore the very complex construct of ‘historical consciousness’ is discussed.</p><p>In the second part, the study is described and its results are discussed: When these children form their personal historical consciousness their focus on the past and the present is apparent, while they have few links to the future. From the way characters’ lives are presented in Drakskeppet these young readers notice social differences in this fictional society of the past. Even though they also see parallels with the time they live in, they often conclude that ”things were worse” in the past. Another result is that an historical consciousness is generally developed when children can emotionally connect to their own lives.</p><p>A second conclusion drawn in the analysis of this project is that children should read fiction to learn about and understand History. In thematic work of this kind, pupils are offered opportunities to develop their reading and interpreting capacities even though the purpose of the work is the emergence of the pupils’ historical consciousness. It should be understood from this investigation, though, that reading without talking about the texts seems to have very little effect on how children develop their understanding of texts or an historical consciousness.</p>

“ if you only read the book … you get the knowledge into your head once. If you talk about it, you get a more distinct memory of it, I think” (Emma, 11) This thesis shows how a novel by Maj Bylock, Drakskeppet, was used in education within thematic work, the Viking Age, among ten-year-olds and eleven-year-olds for five weeks. The aim of the project was to investigate if and how pupils create or develop an historical consciousness when they had written and talked about the text in a novel. The study examines and analyses how three pupils in particular look upon history and ‘time’ in this process and if identification with characters in the novel takes place. In the theoretical framework, which focuses on Judith Langer and her theories on ‘envisionment building’, that is on how children create text worlds , a general survey presents research findings about how children (10-12 years) interpret fiction. Furthermore the very complex construct of ‘historical consciousness’ is discussed. In the second part, the study is described and its results are discussed: When these children form their personal historical consciousness their focus on the past and the present is apparent, while they have few links to the future. From the way characters’ lives are presented in Drakskeppet these young readers notice social differences in this fictional society of the past. Even though they also see parallels with the time they live in, they often conclude that ”things were worse” in the past. Another result is that an historical consciousness is generally developed when children can emotionally connect to their own lives. A second conclusion drawn in the analysis of this project is that children should read fiction to learn about and understand History. In thematic work of this kind, pupils are offered opportunities to develop their reading and interpreting capacities even though the purpose of the work is the emergence of the pupils’ historical consciousness. It should be understood from this investigation, though, that reading without talking about the texts seems to have very little effect on how children develop their understanding of texts or an historical consciousness.

<p>“ if you only read the book … you get the knowledge into your head once. If you talk about it, you get a more distinct memory of it, I think” (Emma, 11)</p><p>This thesis shows how a novel by Maj Bylock, Drakskeppet, was used in education within thematic work, the Viking Age, among ten-year-olds and eleven-year-olds for five weeks. The aim of the project was to investigate if and how pupils create or develop an historical consciousness when they had written and talked about the text in a novel. The study examines and analyses how three pupils in particular look upon history and ‘time’ in this process and if identification with characters in the novel takes place.</p><p>In the theoretical framework, which focuses on Judith Langer and her theories on ‘envisionment building’, that is on how children create text worlds , a general survey presents research findings about how children (10-12 years) interpret fiction. Furthermore the very complex construct of ‘historical consciousness’ is discussed.</p><p>In the second part, the study is described and its results are discussed: When these children form their personal historical consciousness their focus on the past and the present is apparent, while they have few links to the future. From the way characters’ lives are presented in Drakskeppet these young readers notice social differences in this fictional society of the past. Even though they also see parallels with the time they live in, they often conclude that ”things were worse” in the past. Another result is that an historical consciousness is generally developed when children can emotionally connect to their own lives.</p><p>A second conclusion drawn in the analysis of this project is that children should read fiction to learn about and understand History. In thematic work of this kind, pupils are offered opportunities to develop their reading and interpreting capacities even though the purpose of the work is the emergence of the pupils’ historical consciousness. It should be understood from this investigation, though, that reading without talking about the texts seems to have very little effect on how children develop their understanding of texts or an historical consciousness.</p>

“ if you only read the book … you get the knowledge into your head once. If you talk about it, you get a more distinct memory of it, I think” (Emma, 11) This thesis shows how a novel by Maj Bylock, Drakskeppet, was used in education within thematic work, the Viking Age, among ten-year-olds and eleven-year-olds for five weeks. The aim of the project was to investigate if and how pupils create or develop an historical consciousness when they had written and talked about the text in a novel. The study examines and analyses how three pupils in particular look upon history and ‘time’ in this process and if identification with characters in the novel takes place. In the theoretical framework, which focuses on Judith Langer and her theories on ‘envisionment building’, that is on how children create text worlds , a general survey presents research findings about how children (10-12 years) interpret fiction. Furthermore the very complex construct of ‘historical consciousness’ is discussed. In the second part, the study is described and its results are discussed: When these children form their personal historical consciousness their focus on the past and the present is apparent, while they have few links to the future. From the way characters’ lives are presented in Drakskeppet these young readers notice social differences in this fictional society of the past. Even though they also see parallels with the time they live in, they often conclude that ”things were worse” in the past. Another result is that an historical consciousness is generally developed when children can emotionally connect to their own lives. A second conclusion drawn in the analysis of this project is that children should read fiction to learn about and understand History. In thematic work of this kind, pupils are offered opportunities to develop their reading and interpreting capacities even though the purpose of the work is the emergence of the pupils’ historical consciousness. It should be understood from this investigation, though, that reading without talking about the texts seems to have very little effect on how children develop their understanding of texts or an historical consciousness. / <p>Licentiatavhandling i litteraturvetenskap: alternativet Svenska med didaktisk inriktning</p>

In teachers’ duty it is significant to create good conditions for student to become included. The schools value work is therefore not only important but shall permeate the whole education. This study, focus on value work during reading aloud, from books in grade three, primary school, with a norm-critical perspective.  To enable this, I have done a survey to map which books the teachers used for reading aloud in connection to value work. Then a norm-critical discourse analysis of the main character in the most popular books where done. The survey indicates that teachers work with value questions during aloud reading of books.  The discourse analysis show that norms and values were similar. The study implicates, the significant of wise and well-founded choices of books for value work, that enable all student to identify themselves with the main characters in the books. The result shows that the most popular books are not that multifaceted. The characters in these books do not represent the diversity in classroom.   The discourse analyse clarifies the implicit and explicit norms and values the books supports. A teacher can work with figure of thought, literal norm-critique, in book talks with the students. / En viktig del av lärares uppdrag är att skapa goda förutsättningar, för att eleverna ska känna sig inkluderade. Skolans värdegrundsarbete är därför avgörande och något som ska genomsyra all undervisning. Studien fokuserar på högläsning i årskurs 3, där arbetet fokuserar på värdegrundsfrågor ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv. Jag har använt en survey för att kartlägga vilka böcker som lärare använder för högläsning i samband med värdegrundsarbetet. En norm-kritisk diskursanalys, av huvudkaraktärerna, i de två populäraste böckerna, genomfördes. Surveystudien indikerade att nästan alla lärare i studien arbetade med värdegrundsfrågor i samband med högläsningen. Studien resulterade i två böcker inom fantasygenren, där liknande normer och värderingar synliggörs genom diskursanalysen. Slutsatsen visar hur väsentligt det är att lärare gör kloka och välgrundade urval av högläsningsböcker, för att alla elever ska kunna identifiera sig med huvudkaraktärerna i böckerna. De populäraste böckerna, är inte tillräckligt mångfacetterade, för att motsvara den mångfald som finns i klassrummen idag. Skolans värdegrundsarbete kan, om lärare metodiskt väljer ut böcker, utvecklas så att eleverna kan reflektera över karaktärernas handlande och de normer som återfinns i böckerna. Diskursanalysen synliggör implicita och explicita värderingar som böckerna förmedlar. Tillsammans med eleverna, kan lärare, arbeta med tankefiguren litterär normkritik, i boksamtalen.

Motivation spelar en betydande roll för hur inläraren lyckas tillägna sig ett andraspråk, då processen är tidskrävande och fordrar elevens fortsatta engagemang (Gass &amp; Selinker, 2008, s. 426). I ämnet svenska som andraspråk ska, enligt Skolverket, läsning och analys av skönlitteratur ingå (Skolverket, 2011, s. 2). Då böcker med ofta obegriplig text kan upplevas som svåröverkomliga hinder i andraspråksundervisningen kan motivation bli den drivkraft som hjälper eleven att överkomma motgångar och distraktioner i läsandet. Denna närstudie av en åttaårig elev i andraklass avsåg att undersöka hur drama som pedagogiskt verktyg i läsandet av en av skolan tillhandahållen skönlitterär bok påverkade hens motivation och upplevelse av läsningen och hur hen gav uttryck för detta. Studien är sålunda en kvalitativ, fenomenologisk studie av ett barn med engelska som förstaspråk. Audioinspelningar nyttjades för att dokumentera de dramabaserade aktiviteter som användes vid läsandet av boken, samt elevens reaktioner. Till analysen transkriberades delar av inspelningarna. Resultatet visade på att informantens engagemang, inlevelse och motivation beträffande läsningen ökade vid användning av drama. Hen spelade som inför publik, skrek och skrattade, illustrerade fysiskt, gestaltade inlevelsefullt karaktärerna, improviserade, och läste med ökad målmedvetenhet och läsförståelse. Hen gav också verbalt uttryck för sin glädje genom att fråga: ”Can we dramatize it? Please!” / Motivation is an important component of success in second language acquisition, as the process is both time-consuming and involved (Gass &amp; Selinker, 2008, p. 426). According to Skolverket, the reading and analysis of fiction is a subject requirement in Swedish as a second language (Skolverket, 2011, s. 2). Books with incomprehensible words can be perceived as insurmountable obstacles in SLA, and motivation can be the driving force prompting the learner to conquer these unavoidable hurdles and distractions. The aim of this close study of an eight-year-old child in second grade was to analyze how drama as a motivation tool affected the learner’s reading experience and how the child expressed their related feelings. Consequently, the study is a qualitative, phenomenological study of a student with English as their L1. Audio recordings were used to document the drama-related activities used in the reading of the book, as well as the student’s reactions. For the analysis, parts of the recordings were transcribed. The results showed that the student’s commitment, empathy, and motivation regarding the reading increased when drama was used. The learner acted as if they were in front of an audience, laughed and screamed, illustrated with their body, embodied the characters emphatically, improvised, and read with increased conviction and understanding. Additionally, the learner verbally expressed their joy by asking: “Can we dramatize it? Please!”