As teacher educators, we have observed that knowledge alone does not lead to the kinds of thoughtful teaching we strive for. Puzzled by differences in the teaching practices of teacher candidates having similar professional knowledge, we explore what might account for these differences. We address what is necessary, beyond traditional forms of…

Observational data on six first and second grade teachers were analyzed qualitatively to determine whether any of these teachers provided "assisted learning" during reading instruction. Assisted learning was defined as the teacher's intentional efforts to structure the students' learning experiences so that they could learn more easily.…

To clarify the interaction between elementary school teachers' theoretical orientations of reading and their classroom practices, this paper reviews the literature concerning theory-to-practice research. The studies are arranged into four categories: (1) teachers' conceptions of reading, (2) teacher planning, (3) teacher decision making, and (4)…

An expert reading instruction teacher was studied for one academic year to explore his interactive decision making processes. Previous lines of research have indicated that, for some teachers, interactive decision making involves more than simply maintaining established routines that assure smooth activity flow and involves deviating from the…

The term "direct instruction" is often used by researchers and educators as if there were consensus regarding its meaning, when in fact, it covers a variety of qualitative differences. To test this hypothesis, two second grade teachers, each categorized as a proponent of direct instruction, were studied using descriptive techniques. The…

Six first- and second-grade teachers were observed while teaching their students how to read in order to examine the methods and rationale they employed for assistance during reading group instruction. (MP)