Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

students were asked to complete, such as reading with a partner, reading silently in class, reading
at home, reading aloud to the class, reading with a small group, or rereading portions of texts.
The study hypothesized that elementary students in general were often asked to read silently or
in small groups amplifying the possibility for students to read often and with appropriate
scaffolds for difficult texts. In this article, reading formats and reading tasks are terms used
somewhat interchangeably to refer to the grouping or independent practices teachers assign for
reading paired with an enactment of reading as an oral/listening or a visual/silent task.
Methods
This study describes current reading practices from teachers in a large western metropolitan area.
The study used survey research to determine how teachers report their use of oral reading,
reading in groups, reading as homework, and reading silently in elementary classes at the
primary and upper-grade levels. Through survey research, the authors explored the approaches to
reading activities that may exist between primary and upper elementary grades when students are
asked to engage in reading activities. The survey was divided into three sections: demographics,
student characteristics, and literacy instructional practices. Descriptive statistics were collected
and aggregated to the level of grade bands. The use of grade bands facilitated larger sample
sizes, and the researchers suggest further research examining the practices by grade level.
Respondents who taught grades kindergarten and one through three were grouped in the primary
grade band. Respondents who taught grades four through six were grouped in the upper
elementary grade band.
Participants
Seventy-four teachers enrolled in a graduate seminar submitted surveys for this study. Twelve
surveys were discarded either because of incorrect coding on the part of the participant or
because the participant did not teach students in the target grades of the elementary school (i.e.,
kindergarten through sixth grade). Of the valid surveys (n=62), 92 percent were completed by
teachers who had not earned a master’s degree but had units of college credit beyond the
baccalaureate degree. Of the participants, 43 were primary grade teachers and 19 were upper
elementary grade teachers. Based on their own perceptions of the population each teacher served,
the largest group (58 percent) worked at schools they characterized as suburban, and the next
largest group worked in urban schools (39 percent) (see Table 1). Most of the teachers who
completed the survey were in the early stages of their careers, with 79 percent having five or less
years of teaching experience and an additional 18 percent having between 6 and 10 years of
teaching experience (see Table 2).
Table 1
Participant-Reported Teaching Demographics
Urban 24 (39%)
Rural 1 (2%)
Suburban 36 (58%)
Other 1 (2%)
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