Dear Sincerely: Exploring Literate Identities with Young Children and Preservice Teachers Through Letter Writing
Abstract
In this study, 38 preservice teachers enrolled in two sections of a language and literacy course at a small university in Montana were paired as pen pals with 14 fourth graders in Kansas. The purpose of the research project was to determine in what ways and contexts the literate identities of the children emerged through letter exchanges with the preservice teachers and to explore the influence of the preservice teachers' letters on the responses of their pen pals. The preservice teachers learned that the children expected them to model conventional writing practices and to negotiate meaning in an engaged and professional manner. When they did not, the writing of the children reflected the responses of the preservice teachers thus demonstrating the implications of modeling good writing and the motivational value of responding in a positive, affirming voice to young writers.
Reference
Moore, R. A., & Seeger, V. (2009). Dear sincerely: Exploring literate identities with young children and preservice teachers through letter writing. Literacy Research and Instruction, 48(2), 185-205.
Journal
Literacy Research and Instruction
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
38
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- course materials
- fieldnotes
- Survey
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
- Thematic analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
"How was the negotiation of meaning supported during the letter writing?"
(p. 191).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
"What did the preservice teachers learn about how to teach writing?" (p. 195).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown