Fostering engagement with the first R and the ELs : teachers' practices withstanding the test of time

Reading has the power to take control of our emotions, to make us laugh and to bring tears to our eyes. Through reading, we can inhabit and experience worlds and cultures past, present and of the imagination. Time can pass unnoticed as we engage \Vith the characters of a book, characters so reai to us that they can vanquish loneliness, and support us through times of trouble. Reading is also the single most important tool for learning and so the visionary teachers who can give their students the gift of a love of reading are equipping them with a potent force. This case study investigated the practice of four upper pnmary teachers to discover their motivations and objectives for the implementation of a specific combination of three literacy practices: reading aloud to students, providing dedicated silent reading time and engaging students in 'book talk'. The teachers' and students' perceptions of the benefits to students of the programs were also investigated. As this study took place in a time of politico-theoretical debate on reading instruction, and during a time of a change to a values- and futures-oriented curriculum within Tasmania, this study also sought to determine the relevance of these teachers' practices in a time of curriculum change. Results indicated that the teachers' personal love of reading and their understanding of the importance of well-developed reading skills to the future success of their students were the primary motivating factors for teachers' programs. Teachers also had a nai:ve conceptual understanding of the attitude influence model that framed the boundaries of this study. This study provides support for the implementation of the practices implemented by the participating teachers and it shows the power of teacher modelling as a vitaJ component of pedagogical practice. The teachers' narrative accounts provide access to their emotional commitment to their work, and their stories suggest that they implicitly understand the crucial importance of student motivation to any educational endeavour