Two students' responses to, and literacy growth in, a whole language curriculum

This research investigates the different responses of two third grade bilin gual (Spanish and English) students to an English whole language literacy c urriculum. Specifically, the research examines: (1) how the students resist ed, appropriated, and/or internalized a whole language curriculum and (2) t he relationship between student curricular interactions and their literacy development. Teacher instructional mediations and student interactions with these mediations were observed and examined for one academic year. In addi tion, pre and post reading, writing, and spelling data were collected and a nalyzed. Findings indicate that the two students, although of similar lingu istic, cultural, and instructional backgrounds, had very distinct responses to the curriculum. One student immediately began to engage in the curricul um as intended due to his apparent interest in the curricular topics as wel l as his desire to explore his own personal interests through the use of li teracy. The second student resisted the curriculum and continued to define literacy as acts of "sounding out" unknown words and spelling words convent ionally. The two students also demonstrated significant differences in lite racy growth, with the student most engaged in the curriculum showing the gr eatest growth. Several factors that may account for the dissimilar student interactions are explored.