This master’s thesis explores the connection between interpretative reading and the comprehension and retention of texts among fourth-grade primary school students. The theoretical part presents the foundations of interpretative reading as a special form of public speaking which, through vocal expressiveness and aesthetic experience, enables a deeper understanding of literary texts. The research problem arises from the lack of empirical data in existing literature regarding the connection between interpretative reading and text comprehension among fourth-grade primary school students, despite authors emphasizing its importance for memory, comprehension, critical thinking, and the development of reading literacy.
The empirical part included 60 fourth-grade students from Osnovna šola Sostro. The research was conducted in two stages: first, the students independently read selected texts by Svetlana Makarovič and completed a questionnaire. One month later, they listened to an interpretative reading of the same texts and completed the same questionnaire again. The data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively, and the obtained results were compared between the two reading approaches.
The findings of the theoretical part indicate that interpretative reading significantly supports the comprehension of literary texts, as the teacher’s intonation, tempo, emphasis, and nonverbal communication direct students’ attention and encourage emotional and cognitive engagement. The empirical results showed that after interpretative reading, students achieved better results in text comprehension and memory retention and more frequently recognised relationships between literary characters, implicit meanings, and key information. As an important contribution, the study provides concrete didactic guidelines for a more effective integration of interpretative reading into literature lessons in the fourth grade of primary school.
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