The education of precocious readers : interviews with their parents and teachers

1. The education of precocious readers: interviews with their parents and teachers Eufimia Tafa Associate Professor Department of Preschool Education University of Crete, Greece The Baltic Conference, Riga, July 2008

2. While there is a large body of research concerned with children who have difficulties in learning to read, there is very little research for precocious readers.

3. Precocious readers are those children who are able to read fluently before they begin kindergarten and without being taught.

4. Internationally, there have been very few longitudinal studies which have monitored the progress of precocious readers from kindergarten through the end of primary education and have studied issues concerning their education(Anbar, 1986, Clark, 1976,Durkin, 1966, Stainthorp & Hughes, 1999, 2004, Tafa & Manolitsis, 2008).

5. This presentation is part of a 6-year longitudinal project, which started at the beginning of the school year 2001-2002.

6. The purpose of the project was: • To investigate a group of children, who were precocious readers before kindergarten. • To monitor their progress in reading, writing and phonological awareness. • To compare their progress with those children who were not precocious readers. • To examine whether precocious readers followed the same literacy developmental path as the majority of children. • To investigate the parents and teachers’ perceptions and experiences concerning their education.

7. By definition, a precocious skill means that the child will be showing asymmetrical development. • Children who have precocious skills pose interesting dilemmas for parents and teachers.

8. The precocious reading ability has the possibility of creating effects on other areas of curriculum, and this means that teachers have to face challenges about the teaching methods that have to follow in order to cater for this type of children.

9. The Purpose of this Study The purpose of this study was to investigate: • Parents’ perceptions and experiences of their child’s education in kindergarten and first grade of primary education, and • Teachers’ perceptions and experiences on precocious readers’ achievement and their participation and involvement in classroom activities over these two school years.

10. The Sample The sample consisted of: • 13 parents (one parent for each child) of 13 precocious readers, • 13 kindergarten teachers, and • 13 first grade teachers (in whom classrooms the precocious readers were registered).

11. In October of the school year 2001-2002 (at the beginning of the project), the 13 precocious readers (6 boys and 7 girls) attended public kindergarten classrooms in Crete.

12. Precocious readers’ characteristics • Mean age of 5,3 years (min 4,9, max 5,8). • Reading ability at the level of a 7 year-old child. • Normal cognitive development. • Native Greek speakers. • Not hyperlexic. • Were living at home with both parents. • Parents’ socioeconomic level ranged from working to middle class. • Similar level of the amount of time parents spent with their children reading storybooks.

13. Materials Semi-structured interviews.

14. Procedure Each parent and each teacher participated in an individually semi-structured interview over the telephone by the end of each school year.

15. The interviews centered round the following main themes 1. Information that parents gave to teachers relating their child’s early reading ability and teachers’ reactions on these information. 2. Parent – school collaboration during the school year. 3. Parents’ perceptions concerning school support for their child’s reading improvement . 4. Teachers’ perceptions and experiences related to precocious readers’ achievement in reading and writing and their behavior in classroom. 5. Teachers’ perceptions and experiences related to the different provision they provided to these children.

16. 1. Parents’ information and teachers’ reactions Kindergarten Seven (7) parents (53,8%) out of 13 had told the teacher that their child was a fluent reader. In the most cases, parents reported that kindergarten teacher’s reaction was very good and positive, while there were few parents reported that teachers looked apathetic. First grade Eleven (11) parents (84,6%) out of 13 had informed teachers that their child was a fluent reader. In some cases, first grade teachers accepted this information positively, while in others, teachers disputed the child early reading ability, were suspicious and their comments revealed a degree of anxiety to the parents.

17. Kindergarten children parents’ reports • «The kindergarten teacher told us: congratulations for your child’s early reading ability. She will be a model for the other children». • «She admired her, but on the other hand she were telling me to be careful in case success turned my child’s head». • «At first, I did not want to tell to the teachers about my child. I did not know her reaction. But she was very enthusiastic». • «When I told her, she told me: I do not think so, she might listen to what is read and then say what she listens».

18. First grade children parents’ reports • «When I spoke to the teacher she was skeptical and she told me: ok, we will see…, the time will show us… She did not believe me». • «I had told the teacher from the first school day that my child is an early reader, but I felt she was ironic to me…». • «… I felt that she did not believe me… She said that she had not any child coming into kindergarten reading».

19. 2. Parents – school collaboration Kindergarten Only 3 parents (23,07%) out of 13 reported that they had been formally invited by the teacher to discuss about their child progress. The rest of the parents reported that they were meeting teacher and had some talk when they led their child to school at the opening of the day. First grade Nine (9) parents (69,20%) out of 13 reported that they were formally invited by the teacher to be informed for their child progress. The rest of the parents reported that only when they asked teacher for their child progress, they were informed about it.

20. Parents’ reports Kindergarten • «Only once, at the beginning of the school year, we were invited formally». • «Class teacher invited us two or three times, however she never said something to me about my child». • «Only once, at the beginning of the school year, she invited us formally. I would have liked to be more informed». First grade • «We have been invited two times. I would like to have more information on how to help my child at home». • «She invited us formally five or six times». • «She never informed me. Only when I asked her, we had some talk…, …I did not want to be seen as a pushy mother».

21. 3. Parents’ perceptions concerning school support Kindergarten All parents reported that kindergarten did not improve their child reading skill, while 2 (15,4%) said that kindergarten improved only their child writing skills. First grade Only 3 parents (23,07%) out of 13 reported that they were satisfied from the school program and their child’s education.

22. Kindergarten children parents’ reports • «Kindergarten has not done her a lot of good…. ». • «I don’t think she has learned more than she knew about reading…., but she has been helped a lot in writing». • «I would like to have done more activities for reading and writing….». • «Kindergarten helped him a lot, but I think he has been helped more at home».

23. First grade children parents’ reports • «I would like my child to be given more work in class…. So that he will not be bored…. and be satisfied of his participation in the class». • «At the beginning of the school year he was interested but now he is getting bored…». • «Although the teacher is demanding hard work …, she does not ask from my child for specific work equal to his skills». • «I believe my child is eligible and able for something more in work class. I wish he would be given more work in class».

24. 4. Teachers’ perceptions on reading achievement and behavior in classroom. Kindergarten All kindergarten teachers reported that precocious readers made things easy in the classroom and their advanced reading skills had positive influence to the other children. Only two (2) (15,4%) kindergarten teachers reported that in some cases precocious readers get bored in the classrooms. First grade All first grade teachers reported that precocious readers made things easy in the classroom and their advanced reading skills had positive influence to the other children. Nine (9) (69%) first grade teachers reported that precocious readers often get bored and tired in the classrooms.

25. Kindergarten teachers’ reports • «She simplified my job. She helped other children. She showed them how to write». • «He provoked other children to follow his example». • «He forced me to do a lot of other things….. He was giving me motives…». • «I think that lately she is getting bored…. She wants something more. She is getting tired». • «When the program is loose she is getting bored that why I always ask her for something more».

26. First grade teachers’ reports • «He simplified my job. He influenced positively other children, because they were trying to catch him up…».. • «At the beginning of the school year he did not want to write. He was bored in writing letters and words…». • «He is annoying to other children and some times he is ironic to them…..». • «Finally, she sensed that she is more qualified than other children and she has to be patient in order other children to catch her up». • «She is getting bored and particularly when other children read. At that time she is making her homework or she paints…».

27. 5. Teachers’ perceptions on different provision Kindergarten Kindergarten teachers often suggested to precocious readers to: • 8 (61,5%) read a storybook to other children. • 5 (38,3%) to help other children on their work in the classroom. Only three (3) (23,07%) kindergarten teachers enriched the classroom library with books and other materials. First grade First grade teachers often suggested to precocious readers to: • 6 (53,8%) read a book silently by themselves or to read a book aloud to other children • 5 (38,3%) to help the teacher in their work • 3 (23,07%) to help other children • 1(0,77%) to do their homework • 1 (0,77%) to do more homework

28. Kindergarten teachers’ reports • «I have not modified the curriculum…. I have not enriched the classroom library with new books». • «I only can give her the reasons for an initiative to do something or ask her to read the calendar or to find a book from the classroom library. But I cannot help her because I do not know how». • «I take advantage of her. She helped me personally as well as the class». • «I brought some more materials in the classroom. I tried to bring every day newspapers in order to give him something more to work on».

29. First grade teachers’ reports • «I ask him to read silently strorybooks. I ask him to write essaysearlier than other children». • «I ask him to read more advanced texts…. When I am writing on the board I ask him to help me by reading aloud all my writings….. He is my assistant…». • «When I see him getting bored, I ask him to help me by checking the notebooks I have already corrected in case I have done a mistake». • «I asked him to be the class librarian».

30. Conclusions Parents’ perceptions • Most of the parents had told to the kindergarten and first grade teacher that their child was a precocious reader. • Parents described kindergarten teachers’ reaction as very positive, while they described first grade teachers’ reaction as skeptical and/or apathetic.

31. Almost all parents reported that kindergarten teachers did not invited them formally to school and they were informed for their child’s progress optionally ,when they met teacher at the opening of the day as they led their child at school. • The most of the parents reported that first grade teachers invited them formally at school meetings during which they discussed about their child’s progress. • However, results uncovered a degree of lack a real communication between school and home.

32. Most of the parents reported that kindergarten teacher did not foster their child reading skill, and they felt that in first grade their child’s particular needs were not always being met. • Parents majority wanted school (either in kindergarten or first grade) to offer more opportunities for their child’s better education.

33. Teachers’ perceptions • All kindergarten and first grade teachers reported that precocious readers simplified their job in classrooms and their advanced reading skills influenced positively other children. • But,while the kindergarten teachers reported that precocious readers did not getting bored in classrooms, the first grade teachers reported that precocious readers were getting bored and in particular when reading and writing activities were in progress. • Both group of teachers reported that they did not modified the basic classroom program. What they have done, was to give to precocious readers some initiatives and responsibilities and make them their “classroom assistants”!!!

34. In other words, teachers’ interviews confirmed the precocious readers parents’ feelings that their child’s particular needs were not being met.

35. Limitations • The findings of the present study should be viewed with caution since the sample size is small and it comes from a specific geographic area of Greece.

36. Educational Implications • Teachers should be listen carefully all information that parents give for their child and not dispute them. Parents knows better children’s abilities, skills and needs than teachers. • Teachers should formally invite parents in meetings in which they should have a real communication. Parents need help and advices from teachers in order to deal with their child’s particular needs at home.

37. Precocious readers need individualized and enriched programs according to their advanced reading skills. • If the daily program meets precocious readers needs and requirements, then these children will enjoy classroom activities and not getting bored of them.

38. Thank you.