Learning through reading (LTR), a complex situation that is encountered in every subject and which consists of reading different types of texts with the goal of acquiring knowledge, should be one of the explicit learning goals of the different Québec programs, including those associated with the “French, language of instruction” curriculum. Learning through reading requires the student to process and interpret the information read, to act to carry out the learning tasks, and to examine the semantic content in order to acquire disciplinary knowledge.
Learning through reading poses a great challenge in French classes.
However, LTR poses a great challenge in French classes, because French teachers tend to focus on the analysis of literary texts. Moreover, with the rapid proliferation of information media, LTR increasingly involves the use of illustrated texts, or multimodal ensembles, available in print and digital formats.
Given this new reading dynamic, it is essential to examine reading methods in the classroom from a so-called “multimodal media literacy” (MML) perspective. Furthermore, with the significant increase in the number of students with handicaps, social maladjustments or learning difficulties (HSMLD) in regular classrooms, the use of LTR in an MML context necessarily implies that inclusive education must be taken into consideration.
A detailed analysis of the factors that facilitated the appropriation of LTR by the different actors clearly shows the feasibility and relevance of LTR in an MML context in inclusive French classroom.
Main researcher
Sylvie Cartier, Université de Montréal
Deposit of the research report: May 2018