G5 Doctoral dissertation (article)
Literacy instruction and reading performance in first grade classrooms (2022)
Lukutaidon opetus ja lukutaito ensimmäisellä luokalla

Ruotsalainen, J. (2022). Literacy instruction and reading performance in first grade classrooms [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Jyväskylä. JYU Dissertations, 511. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-9126-5

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Ruotsalainen, Jenni

eISBN: 978-951-39-9126-5

Journal or series: JYU Dissertations

eISSN: 2489-9003

Publication year: 2022

Number in series: 511

Number of pages in the book: 1 verkkoaineisto (67 sivua, 34 sivua useina numerointijaksoina, 3 numeroimatonta sivua)

Publisher: University of Jyväskylä

Place of Publication: Jyväskylä

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-9126-5

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Abstract

The aim of the present dissertation was to examine the associations between observed literacy instruction and students’ reading performance at the classroom level during the first school year. The data focusing on the first grade autumn and spring were drawn from two longitudinal studies conducted in Finland and one conducted in Estonia. The three sub-studies used data from audio or video recorded literacy lessons (sub-study 1: nFIN = 12, nEST = 21; sub-study 2: n = 35; sub-study 3: n = 30), and assessments of reading performance (word reading skills, and reading comprehension; sub-study 1: nFIN = 154, nEST = 415; sub-study 2: n = 616; sub-study 3: n = 537). Literacy instruction activities were coded for instructional attention management (i.e., who is responsible for directing students’ attention to the task: the teacher during whole group work vs. students during independent work) and content of literacy activities utilising an adapted version of the Individualizing Student Instruction (ISI) observation system. The data were analysed using multilevel modelling. The results showed, first, that the emphases in the contents of the activities shifted during the first grade. Second, students’ word reading skills at the classroom level were associated with the allocation of lesson time to different literacy instruction activities in both the autumn and spring terms. Third, different literacy instruction activities were found to be associated with average word reading skills and reading comprehension in classrooms. Overall, the findings contribute to the understanding of classroom-level associations between literacy instruction and literacy learning in first grade. The findings highlight the need to consider the effects of the classroom-level skills of students on teachers’ practices when supporting students’ learning to read.

Keywords: language learning; mother tongue; literacy; reading comprehension; fluency; precision; classroom work; observation; lower comprehensive school; doctoral dissertations

Free keywords: literacy instruction; classroom observations; reading performance; reading accuracy; reading comprehension; first grade

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022