When educational policies require pre-service teacher practicum mentors to continuously implement a mandated scripted reading curriculum, limits are placed on pre-service teachers observing only these reading instruction methods. Novice teachers, who are developing their reading pedagogy, need the opportunity to explore a variety of methods…

Many pre-service teachers express a lack of confidence and preparedness to face the challenges of teaching reading in today's classrooms. The current study looks at whether Structured Participation Experiences (SPE) in reading increase pre-service teachers' preparedness to teach reading compared to more traditional unstructured field experiences.…

This descriptive study employed mixed methods to explore preservice teachers' initial knowledge and subsequent use of explicitly taught reading comprehension strategies in primary grade classrooms during a year-long, field-based teacher preparation program. Self-Knowledge Rating Surveys, Strategy Multiple-Choice Tests, strategy logs, lesson plans,…

For their 61st annual conference, the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) met in St. Petersburg, Florida. This year's conference theme was "Engaging All Readers through Explorations of Literacy, Language, and Culture," which was also used as the title for this year's "Yearbook." This "Yearbook"…

A descriptive study was employed to determine differences in knowledge of literacy instruction and perceived preparedness to teach literacy between two groups of teacher candidates enrolled in two different teacher preparation programs at one university. This study investigated which components--coursework, field experience, and…

A descriptive study was employed to investigate beginning teachers' experiences with reading instruction in their teacher preparation programs and to determine what areas of need have emerged now that they are practicing teachers. Data collection instruments included a reflective survey and telephone interviews. Beginning teachers perceived…

The theme for the 58th annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) was Bridging Cultures Through Literacy. In the first section of the Yearbook, Parker Fawson's presidential address captures the unique nature of ALER and its role in his professional development, and then moved beyond to capture the changing…

Relations between preservice teachers' guided field observations of primary literacy instruction and knowledge about effective beginning reading practices were explored. Preservice teachers (n = 48) participated in a Directed Field Experience course including instruction on and observations of exemplary teaching practices promoting student…

This study tested 45 preservice teaching interns for cognitive and performance behaviors, comparing those results with the emphasis on reading in the content areas that the interns received in teacher training. The interns were randomly divided into two experimental groups. One group was trained in content-area reading by both content-area…

A study explored the perceptions of 155 early field experience (EFE) elementary education majors who were in one of six sections of a reading methods course at a midwestern university. Responses to an open-ended final examination question at the end of three consecutive semesters asked students to describe and evaluate the classroom reading…

The purpose of this study was to compare the performances of undergraduates on a knowledge test of reading (before and after student teaching) with the amount of effort committed to reading instruction by their respective supervisory teachers. The Artley-Hardin "Inventory of Teacher Knowledge of Reading" was administered to three classes of senior…

A study examined students' perceptions of what it is that distinguishes effective from ineffective university supervision. Subjects were 83 early childhood education majors enrolled in two field-based reading methods courses offering six weeks of university instruction and four weeks of classroom experience. Students responded to questionnaires…

The Preservice Reading Education Program (PREP) is a competency-based teacher education program for elementary and early childhood education students. It focuses on the following five major activities: (1) the coordination of an organized program in reading education around identified teacher competencies; (2) the individualization of instruction…

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…