Discourses about reading among seven- and eight-year-old children in classroom pedagogic cultures

Abstract

This article reports on case study research of seven- and eight-year-old children's discourse about reading. The case studies were selected to provide classrooms in contrasting neighbourhoods within a white `working class' town in the North of England. Mixed methods were employed, but primarily the case studies were ethnographic in character. A sociocultural perspective is taken, drawing on Gee's (1999) definition of discourse and cultural models. Two main differently gendered discourses about reading were encountered. The one discourse, dominant in the `working class' classroom, was strongly gendered and afforded reading low status. The other discourse encountered in the `middle class' classroom was gender-inclusive and reading carried high status. It is argued that the interaction between social class and gender is important in understanding children's discourse about reading. The idea of a classroom meta-discourse is introduced. It is argued that, when classroom meta-discourse about reading is intense and in opposition to the values and expectations of preferred school pedagogic practices, under some conditions children's classroom meta-discourse can influence classroom processes and practices.