Dialogical Self and Struggling Reader Identity

This chapter illustrates how tenets of dialogical self theory expand current understandings of struggling reader identity. Research in the field of adolescent literacy demonstrates the significant influence of reading difficulties on readers’ identities, but little research exists that explores the role of the dialogical self within the context of struggling reader identity. I-positions, their temporal nature, and the influence of internal and external positions, provide a valuable framework for understanding the complexities of reader identity.