This study guide is designed for individuals preparing to take the Georgia Teacher Certification Test (TCT) for reading specialists. Content objectives are stated for the areas of: (1) language development and reading readiness; (2) reading skills; (3) developmental reading instruction; (4) student assessment; (5) reading disabilities; and (6)…

A study was conducted to determine the current trends in reading materials and methods used to teach first grade students to read in the Northern Valley Region of Bergen County, New Jersey. Twenty-one first grade teachers responded to a survey which consisted of open-ended questions asking about goals and incentives, multiple choice questions on…

Based on the perception that teacher educators deliver preparation programs which have little influence on the way graduates actually teach and that they are completely out of touch with the actual teaching conditions in contemporary schools, a survey was conducted to see what activities teachers felt were most relevant for reading methods classes…

The role of special reading teachers is currently in flux, as local education agencies expect them to work increasingly with other teachers and parents and consequently provide less direct instruction for students. Historically, reading specialists taught disabled readers since it was hypothesized that their special training in reading diagnosis…

The knowledge and training of 80 bilingual elementary school teachers in the areas of Spanish language, reading skills, and reading methodology were studied. The teachers met the following criteria: they were bilingual (English and Spanish), they were licensed and currently teaching in New York City, and they had been exposed to the teaching of…

The third part of a three-part final report on a series of studies that examined the nature, characteristics, and effects of verbal feedback to student reading miscues, this volume contains articles and unpublished manuscripts that have been written as part of the project. The 12 articles cover the following topics: (1) the place of oral reading…

This paper discusses some specific issues about testing and relates the discussion to reading teachers and reading instruction. The issues that are discussed include the goals, criteria, and methods of classroom assessment. The paper concludes that teachers need to learn more about the process of assessment in order to use tests effectively, and…

More than 1,800 Philadelphia fourth grade students were involved in a study of reading instruction in the Philadelphia elementary schools conducted during the school year 1975-76. Four critical factors were noted as improving reading achievement in the district's elementary schools: the use of the linguistic basal approach to reading instruction,…

This issue collects articles concerning the education of reading teachers. Deborah Osen Hancock and Jack Jones provide "California Professors of Reading: An Organization in the Process of Becoming," an article describing the role of the California Association of College Professors of Reading in teacher certification and program design. In…

This collection of articles from The Reading Teacher offers indispensable insight on issues, problems, and innovative solutions in literacy education. A wide spectrum of authors--ranging from successful classroom teachers to noted researchers and teacher educators--weigh in on language theories, relevant research, effective instructional…

Compares belief systems of preservice and inservice teachers, focusing on whether the two groups make instructional choices based on their theoretical orientations. Finds that practices chosen by teachers with reader-based/holistic orientations reflected their beliefs, while the practices of teachers with mastery-of-skills orientations did not.…

Describes one teacher's experiences with helping seventh graders become lifelong readers. Discusses the importance of reading aloud to students and how reading, listening, and discussing can help improve writing through the use of reading journals. (MG)

This study explored the impact of learning a new instructional practice in a US school district that places great value in a statewide student assessment. Grounded Theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1998, Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, 2nd Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA)…

In this article, the author asserts that it is impossible for a person who does not love reading to be a good literacy teacher. She discusses the reasons her undergraduate preservice teaching students give for having given up on reading as a pleasurable activity, presents strategies her graduate students used to begin to enjoy reading, and offers…

The authors discuss the challenges encountered by English-language learners (ELLs) as they attempt to interpret the figurative language of their new cultures. Providing ELL students with explicit instruction in interpreting figurative language--a bridge to reading comprehension--is a significant goal for teachers who design instruction for…