Multimodal Interpretations of Novels

Abstract

This study explored the multimodal reading responses created by fifth graders through a qualitative design. We discovered that certain roles within literature circles such as journaler and fact finder led to multimodal response. We learned that most responses were redundant with text. In other words, both shared similar information. We learned that certain books triggered multimodal responses more than other books. When using Callow’s categories for visual interpretation, we discovered that most multimodal responses were categorized as composition and a few were critical where viewers were asked to respond emotionally.