The study reported in this article focused on the preparation of elementary preservice teachers to teach reading and on their first 3 years of teaching in schools. Graduates of 8 programs judged as "excellent" by an expert review panel participated in this study. The research was guided by 2 questions: (1) What effects do participation…

In a companion paper, word recognition skills assessed by telephone using the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) were found to correlate highly with National Curriculum (NC) teacher-assessed reading ability in 7-year-old twins. This study examined the genetic and environmental origins of this high correlation. TOWRE and NC scores were both…

Currently, definitions of "science", "reading", and "literacy" in the US lend a seemingly nonrelativistic permanence to these terms, and render them resistant to critique. This paper offers a theoretical frame for critiquing this permanence, analysing why early-literacy instruction is tightly tied to traditional forms…

Embedded multimedia refers to teaching methods that embed video content within teachers' lessons. The research of Mayer and others has suggested that multimedia instruction can enhance learning by using the capacity of both visual and verbal memory systems. The present study is an evaluation of embedded multimedia in a year-long randomized…

There are few research studies on the effects of teaching comprehension strategies to young children in the primary grades. Using a Dominant-Less Dominant Mixed Model design employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection, we evaluated two approaches for teaching comprehension strategies to 7- and 8-year-old children in four…

This article synthesizes results from 5 studies that used noncertified tutors to work with at-risk primary-grade readers. Each of the studies featured (1) twice-weekly tutoring lessons that included guided reading, word study, and reading for fluency; and (2) supervision of the tutoring by a knowledgeable reading teacher. Results from the 5…

The development of highly effective teachers is of interest to school systems because the quality of the teachers is associated with students' success. This study explored the relationship between teachers' participation in a job-embedded model of professional development and students' achievement in reading. Teachers in the third grade and fifth…

This book provides educators, parents and caretakers with a variety of instructional strategies for engaging K-8 students. These approaches are designed to enable all students to read easily and enjoyably by utilizing different styles and approaches. The techniques are not generally found in conventional classrooms, but are specifically targeted…

After examining the teachers of sixth-grade English-language learners (ELLs) in their regular classrooms, the authors of this study found that the ELLs' active or passive participation was much influenced by the teachers' approach to the students but not by the teachers' use of specific methods only. While the teachers' focus on American…

A developmental project was designed to improve the course of study for Reading Specialist Credential candidates at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). The project is an example of action research that systematically developed an inservice presentation for improvement of classroom instruction in language arts.…

A study explored how reflective inquiry could be used to promote preservice teachers' understanding about reading during a one-semester required reading certification course. Subjects, 22 dual certification elementary/special education undergraduate juniors, 27 secondary education undergraduate juniors, and 11 graduate students in a master of…

A cornerstone of Mississippi's 1982 Education Reform Act, the Assistant Reading Instructor Program sought to improve basic skills acquisition by placing assistant reading instructors in primary grades. The program has not been effective in meeting its objectives. On standardized tests, students who had assistant reading instructors in the primary…

A study investigated whether a college reading center was superior to a local public school as a practicum site for developing teachers of literacy. Of 17 undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in a practicum in a reading field placement course, 10 were placed in the college reading center and 7 in a primary level public school. The preservice…

A naturalistic study examined how the structure of a teacher education course in reading diagnosis promoted an active, constructive stance toward teaching. Two professors in education participated in the study; one was the participant/instructor in the class and the other was a participant/observer. The 20 students in the class attended a seminar…

A study examined the relationships among elementary school principals' knowledge of reading, principals' involvement in the school reading program, teachers' knowledge of reading, and elementary school student reading achievement. Subjects, 20 principals and 68 teachers from 20 schools in a small western city, responded to a 20-item survey…