A practicum was designed to increase the number of primary teachers who possess a more current reading and writing philosophy and would implement theory-driven teaching practices. The problem addressed in the practicum was that primary reading and writing instruction did not reflect current research, theory, and practices. Many classroom teachers did not possess a reading philosophy, thus did not understand underlying teaching practices. A graduate level course was developed for teachers of primary grades kindergarten-3 that encourages teachers to form their reading/writing philosophy and implement theory-based teaching practices. Opportunities were provided to discuss current research, prevalent teaching models were demonstrated, and classroom visits were made to model teaching strategies and give feedback on strategies that teachers had implemented. Results of the practicum indicated that the number of primary teachers using current literacy theory and practices can be increased through teacher education, modeling, and feedback on teaching practices. Having a clearly defined reading philosophy enhanced teachers' practices and empowered them to select effective teaching practices that fit their students' needs. (A district mission statement and a reading philosophy rubric are appended; contains 20 references.) (Author/CR)