SCAFFOLDING, MULTILITERACIES, AND READING CIRCLES - Reading development in a grade-7 classroom

Oct 15, 2026

Qualitative research in a coeducational government school in Western Australia examines how a grade-7 boy, Nicholas, develops reading ability after being identified as challenged by the literacy curriculum. Using a social-constructivist perspective and a multiliteracies framework, the study applies the four-resources reading model to interpret progress during reading circles. Findings indicate that combining scaffolding, diverse texts, and meaningful tasks supports learner agency, particularly within school literacy–assessment contexts and socio-economically disadvantaged settings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

SCAFFOLDING, MULTILITERACIES, AND READING CIRCLES

Research focus and theoretical framework

Key debates on literacy teaching and boys' performance

Multiliteracies from a social-constructivist perspective: boys in home and school contexts

SCAFFOLDING, MULTILITERACIES, AND READING CIRCLES Wendy Cumming‐Potvin Murdoch University In this qualitative study, that took place in a coeducational government school in Western Australia, I adopt a social‐constructivist perspective of learning (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky, 1986) to examine reading in an elementary classroom. The focus of this article is Nicholas, a grade‐7 boy, who was identified as challenged by the literacy curriculum. The analysis utilizes a multiliteracies framework (The New London Group, 2000) and the four resources reading model (Luke & Freebody, 1999) to interpret Nicholas’ progress during reading circles. Results suggest that multiliteracies, which interweave scaffolding, diverse texts, and meaningful tasks, can encourage agency for student learning. Key words: literacy identity, scaffolding, reading, pedagogy of multiliteracies, reading resources model, socio‐economically disadvantaged students, school literacy‐ assessment Dans cette étude quantitative, qui a été menée dans une école gouvernementale mixteen Australie‐Occidentale, l’auteure adopte un point de vue socioconstructiviste sur l’apprentissage (Rogoff, 1990 ; Vygotsky, 1986) en vue d’analyser l’aptitude à la lecture dans une classe du primaire. L’article porte essentiellement sur Nicholas, un garçon de 7e année, aux prises avec des difficultés par rapport au programme de littératie. L’analyse fait appel à un cadre de multilittératies (The New London Group, 2000) et à un modèle de lecture axé sur quatre ressources (Luke & Freebody, 1999) en vue d’interpréter les progrès de Nicholas au cours des cercles de lecture. Les résultats donnent à penser que les multilittératies, qui combinent soutien à l’apprentissage, textes divers et tâches intéressantes, peuvent encourager les élèves à apprendre. Mots clés : littératie, soutien à l’apprentissage, lecture, pédagogie des multilittératies,élèves défavorisés, évaluation de la littératie à l’école ________________________ CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION 30, 2 (2007): 483‐507 Recently, intense neo‐conservative media coverage and Commonwealth initiatives such as the National Inquiry into Literacy Teaching (Department of Education, Science and Training, 2005) have re‐fuelled attacks over how literacy is taught in Australian elementary and secondary schools. The public debate about literacy has frequently taken a simplistic perspective in Australia, focusing on a perceived achievement crisis (Doecke, Howie, & Sayer, 2006; Durrant, 2006) particularly on boys’ failing scores in literacy (Alloway & Gilbert, 1997; Martino & Kehler, 2006) . Although the subject of boys’ literacy performance is clearly interwoven as part of current educational debate in many English speaking countries (Love & Hamston, 2003), considerations of how boys construct their literacy identity at home and school must be increasingly embedded within discussions of boys’under‐achievement. More particularly, the complexity of factors related to student achievement in reading must be interpreted with caution. Although results from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey indicated that in all participating Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries (except for Liechenstein), girls outperformed boys in reading, the survey also indicated that the impact of socio‐economic and cultural capital remains highly significant for student achievement (see also International Reading Association, 2005) . Transformed global and local learning communities (Carrington, 2001) and increasingly multiple literacy practices make simplified explanations inadequate for understanding student achievement in the twenty‐first century. Luke and Elkins (2002) argue that new and multiliteracies must allow students, schools, and communities to navigate unprecedented cultural, social, economic, and political changes. To support boys’ as well as girls’ educational achievements for the new millenium, Allo

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study examines how reading is developed for a grade-7 boy identified as challenged by the literacy curriculum, interpreting his progress during reading circles.

Which frameworks and models guide the analysis?

The analysis uses a multiliteracies framework and the four resources reading model to interpret reading progress.

What do the results suggest about learning support?

Results suggest that multiliteracies—interweaving scaffolding, diverse texts, and meaningful tasks—can encourage agency for student learning.

Oct 15, 2026

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