Butterley, Ingrid; (2011) Reading cultures : A study of the reading experiences of bilingual students and their parents/carers. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

Abstract This small-scale qualitative study is set in three primary schools in one Inner London borough. In this study I have investigated the motivations and interests of a group of primary aged bilingual students with regard to reading. I have also sought the perceptions of parents and carers about the purposes and significance of reading, as well as the support they offer for reading at home. I have also elicited the class teachers' perceptions of students' reading motivation and parental/ carer support. Rich descriptions are evoked through the use of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, field notes and a research journal. I investigate the inner layer of the micro processes of the reading experiences of the bilingual students and the reading life histories of their parents/carers, through the lens of a sociocultural perspective on reading. I look to social theory at the macro level for insight into the institutional layer of discourses within the school as well as the outer layer of discourses in the wider society. The findings suggest that this group of students were largely motivated and successful readers, who effectively integrate different cultural purposes within their reading. Equally, their parents drew on their own understandings of their literary and educational journeys to offer support in a variety of ways. However, their teachers who provided a stimulating literacy-rich environment in their classrooms often failed to acknowledge the funds of knowledge that these bilingual students and their families were able to bring to the classroom. These findings will inform the educational dialogue around the inclusion of linguistic minority parents/carers and their children within the school reading curriculum.

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