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Why elementary teachers might be inadequately prepared to teach reading
R Malatesha Joshi1, Emily Binks, Martha Hougen
1Texas A&M University, USA.
Journal of Learning Disabilities
|June 23, 2009
Summary
Teacher educators often lack knowledge of basic English language concepts like phonemes and morphemes, hindering effective early reading instruction. Professional development is crucial to equip them with essential linguistic knowledge for teaching reading.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Linguistics
- Literacy Studies
Background:
- National reports advocate for systematic, explicit, synthetic phonics and wide reading in early literacy.
- Research indicates many in-service teachers lack foundational English language knowledge, despite literature expertise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate teacher educators' familiarity with linguistic features of English.
- To assess teacher educators' understanding of concepts critical for early reading instruction.
Main Methods:
- A survey on language concepts administered to 78 teacher educators.
- Interviews with 40 teacher educators regarding best practices in reading instruction.
Main Results:
- Teacher educators demonstrated knowledge of syllabic concepts but struggled with morphemes and phonemes.
- Eighty percent of interviewed educators defined phonological awareness narrowly as letter-sound correspondence.
- Synthetic phonics was not frequently cited as a preferred method for at-risk readers.
Conclusions:
- Teacher educators' limited grasp of linguistic concepts may impede effective reading instruction training.
- Targeted professional development in language concepts is essential for teacher educators.
- Integrating linguistic knowledge into preservice reading courses can improve early literacy instruction.
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