| This teacher-research study documented and traced the roots of the reading experiences of three Latino, bilingual students in a fourth/fifth grade gifted and talented (GATE) classroom in order to contribute to a grounded theory literature-based reading instruction. The research question asked what are the reading experiences of bilingual GATE students as evidenced in their responses to their reading. Over a period of ten months the students read books of their own choosing, wrote about their reading and developed student initiated creative projects related to their reading.;In class inquiry focused on what the students chose to read, their interests in the book they selected, what they were expressing in response to their reading, and what if any connection there was to their lives in the reading. The teacher-researcher visited the students' families and interviewed the parents and family members about their own interests, experiences in school, and knowledge resources available to their children. The constant comparative method was used to analyze data, which included field notes, taped conversations, student work samples, in class photographs, and student developed photo journals. The conversations in class, as well as, in student homes accorded ample opportunity for verification, correction, clarification, and the development of emergent themes.;Two primary themes emerged: "Reader response from a social context" and "Reader response as personal expression." The first theme explored the various contextual factors that were evident in the students' reader responses. The contextual factors included the classroom experience, family background and the community. Among the factors that significantly influence the students' reading experiences were the teacher and elements of popular culture. An unexpected finding was that the students made very few connections to culturally based knowledge resources such as family background.;The second theme analyzed reader response as personal expression. Using the various artifacts that the students provided, the data were organized into a reader response profile which indicated the students' focus in their reading, their response sources, and the degree of aesthetic attention to the literature. Throughout the study the participants unique personalities emerged with regard to reading. They display predictable patterns of personal expression.;The study concluded that the reading experience is influenced to some degree by social and cultural factors, but it remains unique to the individual. The study raised a question of "giftedness" being associated with assimilation to the dominant culture of the school. In a discussion of the findings, the teacher-researcher reflects on the difficulty of conducting research in one's own classroom particularly as one in relative isolation. The need for a support network for teacher-researchers. |
