Ways of attempting to ensure competence in teaching reading have changed dramatically over the past 60 years. By comparing tests designed to be administered to 1923 and 1983 teacher candidates, this article illustrates the ways in which they are qualitatively different and considers the implications of those differences. (MT)

Describes Alpha Upsilon Alpha, the student honor society created by the International Reading Association to promote scholarship, leadership, and service in the field of reading/language arts. (FL)

Reports findings of a survey designed to determine the most important changes that have taken place in reading education over the past 20 years and the people who have made the most significant contributions to the field. (FL)

Calls for administrators to be compassionate in responding to letters from those seeking teaching jobs. Offers suggestions for those seeking teaching positions. (FL)

The Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) program is funded by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) and is housed at the University of Central Florida (UCF). FORPD is an online staff development project designed to help teachers improve reading instruction for learners in grades preK-12. Developed collaboratively with…

Emotions, feelings, and values are important in an individual's well being. If pupils possess quality attitudes, the chances are that cognitive objectives will be achieved well, as much as the individual can be capable of doing. The teacher needs to emphasize affective objectives in reading instruction. Learning opportunities to achieve objectives…

A special interest group of the International Reading Association publishes a scholarly journal, "The Reading Professor: The Journal of Professors of Reading Teacher Educators." In Volume 22, No. 1, Fall 1999, the following articles are featured: "Young Children Draw Their Images of Literacy" (Roberta A. McKay and Maureen E.…

Suggests that through positive contact with classroom teachers, through effective communication skills, and with the active support of administrators, the reading specialist can strengthen his or her instructional position. Presents a change model to help in this effort. (FL)

Argues that educators and researchers should become more active in making the decisions that affect education, such as minimum competency testing. (FL)

Reviews research showing that teachers can improve student reading behaviors through direct instruction and reinforcement. (FL)

Explains how recent court decisions have given teachers time to reevaluate their feelings and beliefs about reading before having to face ultimate tests of accountability. (AEA)

Argues that researchers and classroom teachers need not be adversaries and uses examples from the area of domain knowledge to demonstrate how teachers can adapt research findings to their reading lessons. (FL)

Provides a self-rating scale for reading teachers, based on ten characteristics of effective reading teachers. A discussion of each item is given. (MKM)

Suggests activities that reading staff developers can use to "unfreeze" staff members, building an interest in and a state of readiness for the program steps to be discussed. The suggested activities call for the active mental and physical involvement of staff members. (GT)

A survey by the IRA Committee on Basic Education and Reading revealed that most states required adult basic education (ABE) teachers to have elementary or secondary credentials but usually had no additional requirements. Respondents favored setting standards for ABE reading teacher certification, with "a demonstrated competency in teaching…