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The Enduring Effects Of Early Literacy Experiences: A Retrospective Interview Study, Karen Suzanne Sigmon Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative interview study was designed to understand how early literacy experiences continue to influence individuals as they become adult readers. The study utilized a case study methodology that allowed detailed descriptions of participants’ recollections of early literacy experiences and descriptions of the participants’ current reading habits.

The researcher, working from a constructivist paradigm, worked to find evidence to explore what features of early reading experiences might compel an individual to turn to reading again and again, or to choose to abstain from reading. The following research questions guided this study: “What specific memories do adult readers recall …