Umeå universitets logga

The aim of this study was to describe, analyze and explore how five teachers work with reading comprehension in grade one and grade two, ages 7 and 8. My approach was ethnographically inspired and data was collected through observations, teachers´ diaries and interviews. The findings indicate that in the observed teachers´ classroom students' language skills were central. In order to teach the students how to use strategies in their own reading, teachers trained the students to use strategies while reading aloud to them. When reading aloud to the students, focus was on reading comprehension but sometimes texts were used by the teachers as tools to teach strategies.  The teachers seemed to think that students first have to learn to read (decode) before working with strategies for reading comprehension during individual reading. In the classrooms a substantial amount of time was spent on dialogue, both before as well as during reading texts aloud. When the teachers asked questions, vocabulary was often focused. The teachers also asked about spelling and punctuation in the text. The questions were mostly aimed at controlling or inferencing the children but the teachers also asked questions where factual knowledge was needed. Regardless of the type of questions the teacher poses, the students respond with comments or inferences. The types of questions that the teacher asked of a text tend to be dominant when the children were invited to ask questions themselves. The teachers in the study were pleased with the students' development and performance in reading comprehension and the students seemed interested to read themselves and to listening to the teachers reading aloud. Children used reading comprehension strategies when listening to teachers reading, but it is unclear to what extent they use it to their individual reading.