Aliterate pre-service teachers' reading histories: an exploratory multiple case study

As a literacy instructor at a university, I regularly administered a questionnaire on reading habits and attitudes as part of the teacher education program. The findings from the surveys aligned with the results of extant literature on the prevalence of aliteracy among pre-service teachers (Applegate & Applegate, 2004; Applegate et al., 2014; Nathanson, Pruslow, & Levitt, 2008; Warmack, 2007). This dissertation uses an exploratory multiple case study approach to examine the experiences of two aliterate pre-service teacher candidates including their identity as a reader, their experiences with reading at home and their reading experiences at all educational levels. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, candidates recalled their experiences with reading and how they described themselves as readers. Findings indicate that both individuals had low self-efficacy with reading, likely as the result of struggles with comprehension. Both individuals also developed a preference for watching movies and looking up condensed summaries of assigned reading to gain information. An interpretation of the findings concluded there was a chronic use of some form of round robin reading throughout both participants’ educational levels. Teachers must work to provide rich opportunities to engage students in reading and be mindful of how they help students develop a regular reading habit.