Sl. Dowhower et Kg. Beagle, THE PRINT ENVIRONMENT IN KINDERGARTENS - A STUDY OF CONVENTIONAL AND HOLISTIC TEACHERS AND THEIR CLASSROOMS IN 3 SETTINGS, Reading research and instruction, 37(3), 1998, pp. 161-190
Recommendations that teachers provide a print-rich environment in the
classroom are ubiquitous in the emergent reading literature. This stud
y assessed the physical print environment of 18 kindergarten classroom
s, addressing the extent to which the teachers honored literacy by pro
viding materials and special places for reading and writing to develop
. Four categories were used for analysis: books, writing supplies, lit
eracy centers, and incidences of print subcategorized as student, teac
her and commercially produced. Both suburban and holistic classrooms h
ad significantly more writing tools and student/teacher generated prin
t than rural, urban and conventional settings. Urban and conventionall
y taught children saw more commercial print and had fewer literacy cen
ters. Several conclusions seem justified: (a) because of the overall p
rint-poor environment found in most of the: classrooms, teachers are m
issing the opportunity to honor and cultivate literacy to its fullest
potential; (b) where a child goes to school and the philosophy of the
teacher may affect children's access to special literacy areas, the am
ount and type of print displayed, as well as the opportunity students
have to create their own print around the room; and (c) early childhoo
d inservice and preservice teachers (no matter their theoretical persp
ective) need explicit guidelines in how to establish a deliberate, wel
l-planned print-rich environment.