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Abstract
A problematic imbalance of academic discrepancies continues to exist within our schools today, leading to school failure for many of our students. Teachers must be prepared to provide effective instructional methods that increase the reading outcomes for all students. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the perceptions of elementary teachers, as compared to observable data, regarding the implementation of teacher read-aloud opportunities within the classroom setting. This dissertation analyzed and compared how elementary classroom teachers described their read-aloud practices to the tangible practices implemented in their classrooms, in order to determine a relationship between perception and contextual data. Data were collected through a survey instrument, classroom observations, and a focus group for gathering both quantitative and qualitative results, in order to triangulate the data for a thorough analysis. The findings from the study revealed that teachers enjoyed reading to their students and they read to their students on a regular basis. The findings from this study further revealed that teachers implemented prosodic cues while reading to their students, which lead to actively engaged listeners, and always included questions and discussions as a part of their read-aloud practices. Based on the results of this study, the perceptions of the teachers indicated that they felt their read-aloud practices were effective in building literacy skills through class discussions and teacher-initiated inquiry.
