This Article Full Text (PDF) Online Appendix All Versions of this Article: 0022219409338736v1 42/5/392    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Malatesha Joshi, R. Articles by Smith, D. L. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Malatesha Joshi, R. Articles by Smith, D. L. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Why Elementary Teachers Might Be Inadequately Prepared to Teach Reading

Texas A&M University

Emily Binks

University of Hull

Martha Hougen

The University of Texas at Austin

Mary E. Dahlgren

Private Consultant, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Emily Ocker-Dean

McMurry University

Dennie L. Smith

Texas A&M University

Several national reports have suggested the usefulness of systematic, explicit, synthetic phonics instruction based on English word structure along with wide reading of quality literature for supporting development in early reading instruction. Other studies have indicated, however, that many in-service teachers are not knowledgeable in the basic concepts of the English language. They may be well versed in children’s literature but not know how to address the basic building blocks of language and reading. The authors hypothesized that one of the reasons for this situation is that many instructors responsible for training future elementary teachers are not familiar with the concepts of the linguistic features of English language. This hypothesis was tested by administering a survey of language concepts to 78 instructors. The results showed that even though teacher educators were familiar with syllabic knowledge, they performed poorly on concepts relating to morphemes and phonemes. In a second study, 40 instructors were interviewed about best practices in teaching components and subskills of reading. Eighty percent of instructors defined phonological awareness as letter-sound correspondence. They also did not mention synthetic phonics as a desirable method to use for beginning reading instruction, particularly for students at risk for reading difficulties. In conclusion, providing professional development experiences related to language concepts to instructors could provide them the necessary knowledge of language concepts related to early literacy instruction, which they could then integrate into their preservice reading courses.

Key Words: teacher knowledge • literacy constructs • teacher education

This version was published on September 1, 2009

Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 42, No. 5, 392-402 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0022219409338736


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Moats Still Wanted: Teachers With Knowledge of Language J Learn Disabil, September 1, 2009; 42(5): 387 - 391. [PDF]

				G. Reid Lyon and B. Weiser Teacher Knowledge, Instructional Expertise, and the Development of Reading Proficiency J Learn Disabil, September 1, 2009; 42(5): 475 - 480. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. E. Cunningham, J. Zibulsky, K. E. Stanovich, and P. J. Stanovich How Teachers Would Spend Their Time Teaching Language Arts: The Mismatch Between Self-Reported and Best Practices J Learn Disabil, September 1, 2009; 42(5): 418 - 430. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Malatesha Joshi, E. Binks, L. Graham, E. Ocker-Dean, D. L. Smith, and R. Boulware-Gooden Do Textbooks Used in University Reading Education Courses Conform to the Instructional Recommendations of the National Reading Panel? J Learn Disabil, September 1, 2009; 42(5): 458 - 463. [Abstract] [PDF]