Beyond sentiment: A descriptive case study of elementary school teachers' experiences selecting children's literature for read-aloud

The purpose of this study was to examine how and why elementary teachers select books for the read-aloud. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct a fourteen week descriptive study. Three participants were purposefully selected to provide an in-depth examination of teachers' book selection processes. Data was collected through observations, think-alouds, and video-mediated reflective interviews. Data was examined through three distinct theoretical lenses throughout the analysis process. Each analysis revealed another layer of understanding regarding the phenomenon studied. The significance of this study lay in its in-depth explanation of how and why teachers selected books for the read-aloud. Finding and implications resulted in a tool that teachers and librarians can use to self-assess their choices. The tool provides questions for adults to consider when intentionally selecting new books to read-aloud to students.