Date
11-13-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sarah Pannone
Keywords
homeschool, homeschooling, home educators, early literacy, beginning reading, reading models, comprehensive reading program, Gagné, conditions of learning theory
Disciplines
Education | Elementary Education
Recommended Citation
Allred, Meghan K., "Home Educators’ Experiences Teaching Beginning Readers: A Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6210.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6210
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate how home educators describe their experiences teaching literacy to beginning readers in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Gagné’s conditions of learning theory as it relates to the literacy teaching experiences of presenting literacy content, eliciting performance of literacy skills, assessing literacy performance, and enhancing literacy retention and transfer in homeschool settings. The central research question was: How do home educators describe their literacy teaching experiences for beginning readers? A transcendental phenomenological approach was used to explore the shared homeschool experience of teaching beginning readers. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Qualitative data was collected through questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus groups and was analyzed to find common themes among the participants’ statements. Results show that the majority of participants want their children to develop a love for reading. They do this by reading aloud to their children, making reading a consistent part of their daily routine, doing things to help their children avoid frustration and pressure while learning to read, and individualizing their children’s reading and literacy education. They felt that children were ready to read when they showed the desire and intrinsic motivation. All but one participant used a phonics-based reading curriculum. Parents described teaching beginning reading as sometimes challenging. They also said that they became more relaxed over time as they gained confidence in their teaching abilities and saw their children succeed at their own pace.
