READING ALOUD TO STUDENTS: A NATIONAL PROBABILITY STUDY OF CLASSROOM READING PRACTICES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Abstract

Elementary teachers have been encouraged to share literature with their students by reading to them daily and recommending books. Although such suggestions are common, little is known about the number of teachers who read to their students regularly and how often this practice occurs across the elementary grades. In this study, 1,874 elementary teachers were surveyed nationally to determine how often they read to their students. Teachers reported how many of the last ten school days they read to their students. Results include the finding that much more teacher reading of books to students occurs in the primary grades compared with the intermediate grades. Also, primary-grade teachers frequently read picture books to their students while intermediate grade teachers read chapter books most often. Informational books are not often read by teachers to students in any of the elementary grades. Discussion of the results centers around reading aloud in the primary and intermediate grades, picture and chapter-book reading, informational book reading, and introducing and recommending books.