Portraits of Practice: A Cross-Case Analysis of Two First-Grade Teachers and Their Grouping Practices
Abstract
This interpretive study provides a cross-case analysis of the literacy instruction of two first-grade teachers, with a particular focus on their grouping practices. One key finding was the way in which these teachers drew upon a district-advocated approach for instruction—an approach to guided reading articulated by Fountas and Pinnell (1996) in which students are instructed in small groups based on reading level—as a resource for their sense-making. Analysis indicated that the two teachers enacted the practice in distinct ways based on their experiences and personal characteristics. Findings further suggested that, reminiscent of research on ability groups conducted mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, instruction and materials in both classrooms were qualitatively different between lower groups and higher groups. Although we do not implicate the practice of guided reading per se, we call for closer examinations of modern manifestations of ability-grouped practices and explorations of alternatives to such practices.
- Journal
- Research in the Teaching of English
- Published
- 2013-02-01
- DOI
- 10.58680/rte201322713
- CompPile
- Open Access
- Closed
- Topics
-
- Export
- BibTeX RIS
Citation context
Cited by in this index (0)
No articles in this index cite this work.
References (0)
No references on file for this article.
Related articles
-
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Sep 2026Gender Differences in Nonverbals of Business Undergraduates: Self-Assessment Insights of Perceived Credibility ↗Daisy Tan
-
Assessing Writing Jul 2026Louie Giray; Kershnee Sevnarayan; Kgabo Bridget Maphoto
-
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Jun 2026Rachel Dolechek; Karen McCullough
-
Assessing Writing Apr 2026Developing students’ feedback literacy in disciplinary academic writing through generative artificial intelligence ↗Jianda Liu; Zihao Shi; Wanqing Li
-
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Mar 2026Kaitlin J. Coyle; Derek G. Ross