Ba. Lehman et Pl. Scharer, TEACHERS PERSPECTIVES ON RESPONSE COMPARISONS WHEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS READ CHILDRENS-LITERATURE, Reading research and instruction, 35(2), 1996, pp. 142-152
As teacher educators and researchers, we designed this action-research
project to help pre- and inservice teachers experience first-hand chi
ldren's responses to Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (198
5). They then compared those responses to their own for the same book.
In addition, we examined the role of discussion in shaping adults' pe
rceptions about the book and their understanding of children's respons
es. Comparisons were drawn between adults' and children's responses in
two broad categories: reader-based and text-based. Within these areas
, subcategories emerged highlighting similarities and differences betw
een children's and adults' responses. Discussion was found to play a f
ormative role in shaping adults' responses to the book, the nature or
direction of those responses, and their understanding of children's re
sponses. Implications are drawn for teachers to better understand and
support their students' transactions with literature.