Inquiry Question/Issue/Problem
How do adolescents respond when an adult reads fiction aloud to them? Do older teens (15-17) react to "read alouds" differently than younger teens/tweens (12-14)? Does hearing an adult read aloud generate a desire for peer-to-peer "read alouds"? Are adolescents willing to listen to fiction they might not be willing to read?
Relevance of this Inquiry to Young Adult Literature
As we have discussed, YA literature spans a wide variety of genres and styles. Increasingly, YA lit is not confined to stories about teens dealing with "teen issues." This inquiry will examine whether adolescents enjoy listening to non-YA fiction and whether hearing non-YA stories read aloud encourages adolescents to expand their literary interests.
How this Inquiry is supported by our Waves of Change Theoretical Framework
Many of the theories of literacy we explored focus on constructing the meaning of texts collaboratively. Reading aloud supports collaborative text analysis and meaning making by enabling every reader to - literally - hear the text in the same voice. This ensures a common starting point for understanding the text, even if listeners, upon further reflection, ultimately read the text differently.
Reading aloud simultaneously shifts the emphasis away from the mechanics of reading to the content of the literature and also, paradoxically, helps the listener better understand good reading practices by modeling how language can be read effectively (where to pause; which words to emphasize; etc.).
Project Design
I will read short stories to several groups of adolescents from Here I Am, a collection of Jewish short stories from around the world and from and The Best American Non-Required Reading series. Since the adolescents are all Jewish teens and tweens who are attending a Jewish summer camp, they have a basic connection with stories written by and/or about Jewish people. However, participants are unlikely to be familiar with these particular stories. In addition, because the stories are international (often translated from another language), literary (character-focused rather than plot-driven and/or unconventionally structured), and written using sophisticated syntax and diction, they may present a greater challenge than more traditional YA literature.
The reading will take place at bedtime, with a group of 8-12 participants. Before reading, I will lead a brief discussion about the role of reading and writing in Jewish culture. After reading, I will ask participants for reactions to the story. I will also make it clear that books are available if anyone wants read more stories.
I will collect feedback in several ways. First, I will record at least some of the reading session, and review the video later to see/hear participant response during the reading. Second, I will listen to participant reactions during and after the reading. Third, I will observe how many participants ask to borrow the stories. Finally, I will ask the counselors for feedback about the activity, whether their campers enjoyed hearing the stories, and whether the adolescents talked about the experience afterward.
Project Multimedia Report
I plan to create a video documenting the process of implementing my project and explaining my findings. I will discuss with the camp director whether it is okay to record camper images and/or how I can use such recordings. Even if I cannot use video of campers, I can use written transcriptions (ie, quotes) of their reactions. I can also provide video of counselors discussing the activity, and the sound of my own voice as I read to the campers.
I think that all of your questions are valuable, Blakely. I'd be particularly interested in seeing if read-aloud could be such a hit with tweens/teens that they actually want to hold read-alouds much like poetry slams or storytelling sessions. You could be on to something big!
ReplyDeletePerhaps a more basic question to consider, too, would be something as simple as, "Is reading aloud a way to successfully engage tweens/teens with literature?" Understanding that you mean reading aloud as a performance piece rather than the, yuck, round robin reading that happens in classes.
Interestingly, there's also something about experiencing a story together, whether read or told, that can make the experience more powerful than simply reading it to yourself. Perhaps it really is that the same regions of the brain light up as in the neuroscience article on storytelling.
You thought of some really interesting ways to engage the impact of the read-alouds you'll hold. I'd just suggest one last source of information -- just informally ask two or three tween/teens what their thoughts were about the read-alouds. It's just a way of getting some feedback from their perspective.
You've got a good plan for your multimedia report. I'd say not to worry with images of the kids unless their parents did sign some sort of general media release. I know you can make your story visually interesting with quotes carved in tree barks (just kidding). You have a funky style with handwritten notes that will work great.
Have fun with this. I know you will!
Hahaha - I did not even list "talk to teens/tweens" as a source of information, because I assumed I would do so. Yes - that is a great point! Thank you for your feedback. Our first batch of campers arrive tomorrow (up til now all our work has been planning, so we are looking forward to having some real live kids here!). I can't wait to experiment on ... I mean READ TO some young people!!!
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