The Impact Of A School’s Literacy Program On A Primary Classroom - teacher research study

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how a teacher’s reading instruction was embedded within a school literacy program in a primary classroom. Qualitative teacher research was used, applying reading theory—Whole Language and Direct Instruction—as the analytical lens. Findings show that Direct Instruction elements permeated classroom practice, reshaping teaching approaches and influencing student learning. The instructional techniques produced both positives and negatives, while limiting teacher and student choice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Rationale

Context of Study

Selected Methodology and Data Collection

Research Findings and Implications

The Impact Of A School’s Literacy Program On A Primary Classroom David Ambrose Roy Costello University of Prince Edward Island Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine how my reading instruction had been situated within my school’s literacy program. As a way to investigate this study, I employed qualitative teacher research. I used reading theory (Whole Language and Direct Instruction) as the analytical lens for my analysis. The results illustrated how the Direct Instruction aspects of the literacy program permeated into my classroom, altered my teaching practices, and impacted student learning. While there were both positives and negatives to the instructional techniques, teacher and student choice was limited. Keywords: Teacher research, reading theory, Whole Language, Direct Instruction, reading instruction, literacy program, guided reading, running records, reading levels Résumé Le but de cette étude était d'examiner comment mon enseignement de la lecture avait été inscrit dans le programme de littératie de mon école. Pour mener cette étude, j'ai utilisé une méthode de recherche qualitative. J'ai analysé la situation sous l'angle de la théorie de la lecture (Méthode globale et Instruction directe) . Les résultats ont montré comment les aspects de l'instruction directe du programme de littératie présents dans ma classe modifiaient mes pratiquespédagogiques, et avaient un impact sur l'apprentissage des élèves. Bien qu'il y avait à la fois desavantages et des inconvénients concernant les techniques d'enseignement, le choix desenseignants et des étudiants était limité . Mots-clés: Recherche avec les enseignants, théorie de la lecture, méthode globale, instruction directe, enseignement de la lecture, programme de littératie, lecture guidée, fiches d'observation individualisées, niveaux de lecture CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION 35, 1 (2012): 69-81 ©2011 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation The Impact Of A School’s Literacy Program On A Primary Classroom I began my career as a Grade 1 teacher in Mainstream Elementary (pseudonym), and continued teaching there for six years. During this time I taught physical education, Grade 2, Grade 6, and then a combined Grade 1 / Grade 2 classroom. This combined Grade 1 / Grade 2 classroom was the first class at Mainstream Elementary to combine these two grade levels. In preparation for teaching a combined curriculum, I began looking through the resources allocated to the Grade 1 / Grade 2 classroom. Many of the resources now being used in schools across Prince Edward Island are the result of a provincial educational task force report generated in 2005. At that time (and presently as well), there was a lot of discussion about literacy instruction, especially related to reading in the primary grades. This discussion, taking place in all domains ofthe educational system, gained momentum and resulted in schools developing literacy programs to address student reading. Such was the case for Mainstream Elementary. Rationale This article summarizes the results of a research study that examined my own teaching practices within the literacy program at Mainstream Elementary. During this research study, my reading instructional practices were identified and analyzed in relation to the instructional guidelines established within the school’s selected reading program. Also included within this article is an overview of both the selected research methodology and the methods employed for data collection and analysis. The article concludes with a reflection of the research findings and their implications on my teaching. This research was both timely and significant as more and more reading programs were, and still are, being mandated into the language arts classrooms “in the hope that rigid adherence to a scripted, one-size-fits-all program will lead to better performance and higher achievement”(Keene & Zimmermann, 2

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To examine how the teacher’s reading instruction was situated within the school’s literacy program.

Which analytical lens was used to analyze the instruction?

The study used reading theory, specifically Whole Language and Direct Instruction, as the analytical framework.

How did the literacy program influence classroom practice and student learning?

Direct Instruction aspects of the program permeated the classroom, altering teaching practices and impacting student learning.

Oct 15, 2026

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