Being a “Reader” in New Times: A Case Study Examining the Construction of a Reader in a Ninth-Grade English Class

Abstract

This article presents a case study that examined the ways in which the boundaries of what it meant to be a “reader” were constructed and what counted as reading in a 9th-grade English classroom. Through the examination of 2 literacy practices (i.e., teacher-led shared reading and the reading of school texts outside of school), I explore what it meant to be a reader and how this was constructed in the classroom. In addition, I report on 1 student's sophisticated out-of-school literacy practices, how he actively helped construct what it meant to be a reader, and how he positioned himself within and in opposition to the constructions of being a reader in the classroom. The findings of the study suggest implications for literacy theory and for educators teaching struggling readers.

Notes

¹The Novel Buddies assignment was a week-long activity in which the students paired with one another and chose a book from a collection of possible books to read. Each day they wrote a letter to their buddy about the book, the characters involved, and any questions they had.