How children talk together to make meaning from texts: a dialogic perspective on reading comprehension strategies

Abstract

This study considers reading comprehension as a dialogic transaction of making meaning from text. The concept of text and reading is taken to include the visual and multimodal as well as written forms. Case studies of children discussing texts are analysed to explore how children engage in inter-mental and intra-mental processes of reading, between themselves as readers and between themselves and the text. The findings show that children's use of language, which is open, hypothetical and questioning, enables different interpretations and priorities for discussion. The use of imagination and empathy, to enter the world of the text to understand it, trigger creative responses as the children make meaning together. More than merely promoting the teaching of comprehension skills to children, the paper demonstrates how meaningful and exciting responses can be promoted through children reading together and teachers encouraging creative dialogue.

Imagination and Literacy Instruction: A Content Analysis of Literature within Literacy-Related Publications

“…Terms found and reviewed included imagination, imaginative, imaginatively, imagine, imagines, imagined, and imaging. After searching four articles (Walsh, 2007;Maine, 2013;Hannaford, 2012;Hall & Jones, 2016), five categories emerged: year of publication, definition of imagination (or lack of definition), the number and forms of imagin*, the purpose of the article, and quotes establishing key ideas related to imagination. The initial four articles were randomly chosen from Literacy.…”

“…While some researchers' definitions or references suggest visual images lead to imagination (Maine, 2013;McTigue, 2010;Serafini & Moses, 2014), other researchers suggest multi-sensory input affects imagination (Douville & Algozzine, 2004;Hannaford, 2012;Roser et al, 2004;Wood & Endres, 2004). Hannaford suggests imagination forms a bridge between the reader's senses and thoughts (Hannford, 2012).…”

“…Research indicates that readers use imagination to enhance understanding (Gambrell & Bales, 1986;Langer, 1990;Maine, 2013;McTigue, 2010;Romano, 2006;Roser et al, 2007) . Imagination aids readers as they connect text to pictures or text to text or text to real life (McTigue, Romano, Maine).…”

“…Nevertheless, Romano realizes that his imaginative rendition of that tale and other tales added interest and engagement that drew him to practice reading throughout his lifetime. Maine (2013) discusses the need to extend discussions of twenty-first century comprehension skills to include written, visual and multi-modal texts. Maine conducted a qualitative study with eight children in primary grades to determine how the children's comprehension developed as they interacted with each other and a variety of texts.…”

“…Sadoski (1985) also stated early readers experienced more decoding errors when asked to visualize story events. On the other hand, the same researchers who report interference related to decoding processes join researchers who acknowledge imagination contributes important elements to comprehension (Gambrell, 1982;Gambrell & Jawitz, 1993;Langer, 1990;Maine, 2013;McTigue, 2010;Sadoski & Paivio, 2013;Spencer, 2002). Gambrell & Jawitz cite four previous research studies as they declare, the "meaning of a text is not inherent in the print on the page but is the result of constructive processes that the reader brings to bear on the message" (p. 266).…”