Contends that the ability and openness to make informed decisions about future classroom reading programs increases with preservice teachers' personal immersion in a whole language environment. Describes strategies used in reading methods courses that allow students to experience what they may be expected to implement as teachers. (RS)

A study examined how the "Reading Classroom Explorer" (RCE, a hypermedia learning environment) might enhance the learning of preservice teacher education students as they prepare to assume internships. RCE is a searchable database of digitized video clips from the Center for the Study of Reading's video series "Exemplary Ways To Teach Reading."…

Argues that instructional activities in teacher education programs can assist preservice teachers in identifying their beliefs. Identifies eight beliefs preservice teachers formulated about reading and literature following one part of a language arts education course in which they designed literature-based learning units. (NH)

The theory and practice of whole language teaching should be integral and simultaneous components of preservice teacher education. A number of instructional strategies and class activities can be used to provide preservice teachers with experiences similar to experiences they will provide to elementary school children. Examples of class activities…

A study tested the usefulness of the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) in terms of its accuracy in measuring preservice teachers' change in theoretical orientation to reading as a result of having taken a reading methods course. Subjects, 27 upper division elementary education majors (the experimental group) and 15 upper division…

Professors in a Communication Arts methods course for preservice and inservice elementary school teachers sought to move the content of the language arts curriculum from a direct instruction to a whole language model. A transformation came about as one professor realized that her efforts to enthusiastically convey the importance of authentic…

Because so many elementary schools are employing whole language instruction, it is essential that graduates from university elementary education programs be prepared to teach in this way. Twenty-five junior and senior elementary education majors enrolled in a block program of 3 courses: reading methods, language arts methods, and a field practicum…

Describes the reorganization of teacher education methods courses at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Lists whole language tenets, large group session topics, and sample integrations for prekindergarten through middle school grades. Asserts that the experience demonstrated the benefits of the whole language philosophy. (PRA)

Presents four strategies (journal writing, directed listening-thinking activity, use of big books, and language experience approach) which are components of many whole language classrooms and can be used by teacher educators to model teaching methods beginning teachers can use in their classrooms. (MG)

This 1994 yearbook presents 24 papers and a summary of the dissertation award winner "Overcoming Misconceptions about Science Beliefs" (G. Qian). Papers are: "The Roots of Reading: Preserving the Heritage of a Profession" (N. A. Stahl and others; "CRA Professional Programs and Progress: A Personal Twenty-Five Year Perspective" (James E. Walker);…

Five current social studies methods textbooks were examined to determine how writing and literature are presented to prospective teachers. The results of the examination show that only one of the methods textbooks offered a positive and informative explanation of how literature can be used to learn the social studies. Three of the textbooks were…

Through the analysis of qualitative data from journals, interviews, class reflection, and classroom dialogue, two language arts methods instructors traced the effects of their college methods courses on student teachers and first year teachers. They investigated the students' willingness to use strategies they had tried and seen demonstrated in…

This paper describes the development of a course that would improve instruction for preservice teachers and for elementary school students through "real world" integration of reading and the related processes of listening, speaking, and writing. "Integrated Language Arts Instruction in the Elementary School" is presented as a model for field-based…

Papers on aspects of second language teaching include: "Cognitive Approaches to Listening Comprehension" (James S. Noblitt); "Popular Music in a Whole Language Approach to Foreign Language Teaching" (Sue Barry, Sidney Pellissier); "Language Maintenance: Bridging the Gaps in Foreign Language Education" (Jean W. LeLoup,…