Abstract
This study identified the materials and strategies that fourth-grade, public school teachers are using to address newly adopted informational reading standards. It also sought to identify patterns in the similarities or differences in the materials and strategies used to teach informational reading lessons in fourth grade classes. Qualitative data on the materials and strategies was gathered from three sources. Questionnaires were completed by teachers to gain data on class demographics, teacher background, access to informational texts, and included a general inquiry of materials and strategies that teachers used for informational reading instruction. Interviews with teachers sought to better understand the materials and strategies that teachers used and to obtain more specific details regarding informational reading lessons. Observations of informational reading lessons explored how the materials and strategies were used and implemented in these lessons. vi Qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic approach. Qualitative data revealed that all teachers use a variety of informational text including readers, magazines, online content, and content-area textbooks. Qualitative data also revealed that teachers use a variety of instructional strategies to meet diverse student needs, with all teachers using small group instruction. Cooperative groups and close reading strategies were also found to be widely used.