Teachers' Interactions During Storybook Reading: A Rural African Perspective

Abstract

Research Findings: Teaching thinking skills is an important goal of formal primary and secondary education. Storybook reading is a well-established routine in the first few school years. Thinking skills can easily be fostered during these potentially language-rich interactions, making storybook reading a powerful tool for preparing young children for formal schooling. The aim of this research pilot project was to describe how 5 rural South African Grade R teachers interacted with their class during storybook reading. Teachers were videotaped during 3 consecutive story-reading sessions. Their utterances were transcribed and coded according to type and according to the cognitive level at which they fell. Results indicated that teachers used mainly utterances falling at a cognitively lower level and that they favored the use of requesting in their interactions. Although teachers used an interactive reading style and engaged children, their use of storybook reading as a strategy to foster higher level thinking was limited. Practice or Policy: These results are interpreted against a background of African cultural norms for adult–child interactions, taking into account that culture is ever changing. Implications for teacher training and further research are given.

Notes

¹Grade R designates the class of children typically aged 5 to 6 years who will commence formal (compulsory) schooling the following year.

^aA 2-year diploma is roughly equivalent to an associate's degree. It is the lowest formal tertiary qualification and is offered by some universities and community colleges.

^bThe Matric Certificate is equivalent to the U.S. high school diploma and is obtained after 12 years of primary and secondary schooling.