Rachael Levy

Children’s perceptions of reading and the use of reading scheme texts

This paper reports the findings of study into children’s self‐perceptions of reading, with a particular emphasis on the perceived use of reading scheme material. Using a collective case study approach, two cohorts of children (six in Nursery and six in Reception) were followed over the course of one academic year. This study employed a range of age‐appropriate research activities to collect data directly from the children themselves. Findings revealed that the reading scheme in many ways shaped the children’s perceptions of themselves as readers as well as defined constructions of ‘reading’. What is more, the dominant use of a reading scheme was also seen to discourage some children from attempting to read any book, including those existing outside of the scheme. This study argues that early years educators should use staged reading systems with caution and actively encourage children to value a wide range of reading skills and texts.

Creating 'buddy partnerships' with 5- and 11-year old-boys: a methodological approach to conducting participatory research with young children

Building on literature concerning participatory research, this article explores the use of ‘buddy partnership’ as a technique to access the voices of young children. In this study, 5- to 6-year-old boys were paired with 11- to 12-year-old boys, and each dyad was asked to contribute towards the creation of an information DVD that would help teachers and parents understand the factors that influenced children’s engagement with reading. This article reflects on how this research technique addressed some of the methodological concerns of researchers conducting participatory research with young children. In particular, it addresses issues related to the ‘role of the researcher’ and the impact of presence of an adult researcher when researching young children’s views. This study revealed that the use of a buddy partnership with older children was a highly effective method in eliciting the voices of these young children. This article argues that the success of this research technique can be attributed to the cultivation of a strong and unique relationship that was built between the children throughout the duration of the project. It is concluded that the older children played a crucial role in the research, as their empathetic and playful approach meant that they communicated with the younger children in a context that was defined by the existence of ‘shared understanding’, which would not have been possible within an child–adult research relationship.

Families’ roles in children’s literacy in the UK throughout the 20th Century

This paper explores the changing roles of families in children’s developing literacy in the UK in the last century. It discusses how, during this time, understandings of reading and writing have evolved into the more nuanced notion of literacy. Further, in acknowledging changes in written communication practices, and shifting attitudes to reading and writing, the paper sketches out how families have always played some part in the literacy of younger generations; though reading was frequently integral to the lives of many families throughout the past century, we consider in particular the more recent enhancement of children’s literacy through targeted family programmes. The paper considers policy implications for promoting young children’s literacy through work with families.

Understanding the barriers and motivations to shared reading with young children: The role of enjoyment and feedback

Shared reading with young children has a positive impact on a range of areas including language development and literacy skills, yet some parents face challenges in engaging in this activity. While much is known about the benefits of shared reading, the barriers to it are poorly understood. The research presented here draws on in-depth interviews with 20 parents of pre-school children to understand home-reading practices in a socio-economically and culturally mixed sample, exploring the motivations and barriers that exist to engaging in shared reading. Results indicate that parents are motivated to engage in shared reading when there is clear evidence of their child’s enjoyment. However, parental perceptions of ‘negative’ child-feedback could be a barrier to shared reading. This has particular implications for the age at which parents perceive reading to be a valued and worthwhile activity for their child, suggesting that some parents may choose not to read with their babies because they are not receiving the feedback they require in order to sustain the activity. Moreover, this study also revealed that, for many parents, their enjoyment of shared reading activity was closely related to evidence of child enjoyment, thus creating a further barrier to reading when child enjoyment was perceived to be absent. This has strong implications for interventions that seek to encourage and support home-reading practices between parents and young children.

A historical reflection on literacy, gender and opportunity: implications for the teaching of literacy in early childhood education

ABSTRACT This paper presents a historical reflection on gender and literacy, with a view to informing the present teaching of literacy in early childhood. The relationship between gender, literacy and opportunity in the labour market is examined, given that despite girls’ achievement in literacy, in comparison with boys’, women continue to earn substantially less than men. In order to understand this relationship, this paper reflects on literacy as a socio-historical construct as well as examining the ways in which the past is constitutive in forming enduring notions of gender that penetrate all elements of society, including the literacy classroom. This critical analysis of what is learned about and through the medium of literacy in the early childhood classroom has major implications for the teaching of literacy today. It is argued that in order to address this issue, early childhood educators need to value and nurture children’s digital literacies as well as create learning environments that allow all children genuine opportunities to question, challenge and explore dominant discourses that are embedded in text.