Acquiring Responsive Practices: Preservice Teachers Learn to Conduct Interactive Read-Alouds

Abstract

As U.S. schools continue to grow more culturally and linguistically diverse, it is important for teacher–educator programs to include pedagogy that promotes engaging learning opportunities for all children. One way these learning opportunities can occur is through interactive read-alouds. Interactive read-alouds provide the teacher and child an opportunity to interact with the text and one another. This article examines how a teacher–educator emphasis on interactive read-alouds guides preservice teacher attention. The authors followed 20 preservice teachers during their first literacy methods course. Analysis of the data yielded two general themes. First, the larger teacher preparation, community-based context drew preservice teacher attention to culturally and linguistically responsive read-aloud practices. Second, preservice teachers tended to blend sociolinguistic awareness with pedagogy when discussing read-alouds.