Teaching Critical Reading to Elementary School Children

Abstract

INVESTIGATES 11 whether critical reading skills can be taught to elementary school children while progress in basic reading skills is maintained; 2] whether there is a relationship between certain factors and critical reading ability; and 3] what kinds of teacher verbal behavior elicit critical responses from children. Critical reading tests and an observation scale were especially developed for the project. Twenty-four intact classroom groups in grades one through six (two control and two experimental at each grade level) were studied. Two institutional workshops were conducted prior to the experiment: one in critical reading and one in children's literature. Pre-tests and post-tests in general reading and critical reading were administered in the Fall and in the Spring. The experimental groups received instruction in critical reading while the control groups received instruction in children's literature throughout the year. Systematic observations were made of teacher-pupil verbal interactions. Intelligence tests were administered in January; Personality tests were administered in May. The total critical reading scores of the experimental groups were significantly higher than those of the control groups at all grade levels. On the analysis of sections of the OSU Critical Reading Test, only on Logic did the experimental groups score higher at each grade level. At no grade level was there a significant difference between the scores of the two groups on general reading. General reading ability and intelligence were found to be related to critical reading ability. The observation data showed that interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating questions produced more critical responses from children than other types of teachers' questions.