Constructing Literacy in the Kindergarten: Task Structure, Collaboration, and Motivation

Abstract

This ethnographic study explores kindergarten children's emergent motivation to read and write, its relation to their developing concepts of reading and writing (Guice & Johnston, 1994;Johnston, 1997;Turner, 1995), and to their teachers instructional goals and classroom norms. Teachers and students together constructed legitimate literate activity in their classrooms, and this construction framed the motivation of students who were at risk for developing learning disabilities in reading and writing. Specifically, the kinds of reading and writing activity that were sanctioned in each class and the role of student-student collaboration colored students' views of the purposes of literacy and their own ability to learn. Findings extend our understanding of how young children's literacy motivation influences, and is influenced by, their classroom literacy culture. Implications for early literacy instruction for children with learning disabilities, and for their continuing motivation to read and write, are discussed.The purpose of this study was to explore children's emergent motivation to read and write and its relation to their developing sense of what reading and writing are (Guice & Johnston, 1994;Johnston, 1997;Turner, 1995). I examine how teachers and students together construct literate activity in their classrooms and how that construction frames the motivation of students who may be at risk for developing learning disabilities in reading and writing because of difficulties with the phonologic code, orthographic code, or both. 1

Interest in an expository text: How does it flow from reading to writing?

“…A challenging task requires the use of self-regulatory strategies: a student is not only asked to apply a well-known schema, but to organize his or her work autonomously (Miller, 2003;Miller & Meece, 1999). Third, challenging tasks are considered more motivating if they require collaboration, since they allow students to share their ideas and give and receive feedback on what they are writing (Nolen, 2001(Nolen, , 2007. In general, a dialogic approach to learning, in which students may compare their position and ideas, seems to have a positive effect on their critical thinking and reasoning (Frijters, ten Dam, & Rijlaarsdam, 2008).…”

How Does Motivation Develop and Why Does It Change? Reframing Motivation Research

“…For example, some (e.g., Dermitzaki & Efklides, 2001;Järvelä & Niemivirta, 2001;Lemos, 2001; Middleton & Perks, 2005;Volet, 2007) have combined premises and constructs inherent to sociocultural perspectives with motivational constructs that are derived from social cognitive motivational theories (e.g., goal orientations, perceived competence), whereas others (e.g., Hickey & Granade, 2004) have maintained that social cognitive tenets are not compatible with sociocultural ones. In addition, researchers (e.g., Ainley, 2007;Ainley & Hidi, 2002;Boekaerts, 2002;Järvelä, Salonen, & Lepola, 2002;Järvenoja & Järvelä, 2005; McCaslin & Murdoch, 1991;Nolen, 2001Nolen, , 2007Nolen & Ward, 2008; Op't Eynde, DeCorte, & Verschaffel, 2001;Salonen, Vauras, & Kinnunen, 2007;Walker, Pressick-Kilborn, Arnold, & Sainsbury, 2004) continue to develop procedures and methods for framing, collecting, and analyzing situated data. Overcoming these methodological challenges is vital before situated and holistic research can be conducted-research that will advance understanding of how and why motivation develops and changes-and is therefore the focus of this article.…”

Young Children's Motivation to Read and Write: Development in Social Contexts

“…In particular, there was support for both the developmental hypotheses of Renninger and her colleagues (Hidi & Renninger, 2006) and of Pressick-Kilborne and Walker (2002).The positions of poor readers and the strategies they used were negotiated and developed in response to the social meanings of reading, writing, and relative literacy skill co-constructed by students and teachers in each classroom. The relationship of these findings to theories of motivation is discussed.Teachers of young children often list "developing a love of reading and writing" as among their most important literacy goals for their students (Nolen, 2001). Yet relatively little research has focused on the process of developing literacy motivation among the youngest readers and writers.…”

“…Teachers of young children often list "developing a love of reading and writing" as among their most important literacy goals for their students (Nolen, 2001). Yet relatively little research has focused on the process of developing literacy motivation among the youngest readers and writers.…”