Class interactive reading aloud (CIRA): A holistic lens on interactive reading aloud sessions in kindergarten

Abstract

In kindergarten classrooms (5 to 6 year olds) in the United States, interactive reading aloud has long been considered an important part of a comprehensive emergent literacy program. However, while individual components of interactive reading aloud (for example, teacher activity, student activity and text) have been studied, researchers have lacked a model to holistically assess this important practice. Thus, a model was created--Class Interactive Reading Aloud (CIRA)--to use as a lens for the study. Through non-participant observations and interviews covering a four-month period, this case study examined four experienced kindergarten teachers during four interactive read aloud sessions in the naturalistic setting of their classrooms. Strong patterns emerged across the practice of the teachers in each of the components of interactive read aloud sessions. All teachers exemplified the CIRA model to varying degrees. Teacher activity fell along a continuum from highly controlled sessions to sessions that appeared to have little apparent planning. All types of sessions yielded extremely engaged students.