Erin K. Washburn

Peter Effect in the Preparation of Reading Teachers

The Peter Effect (Applegate & Applegate, 2004) claimed that one cannot be expected to give what one does not possess. We applied this notion to reading teacher preparation and hypothesized that teacher educators who do not possess an understanding of basic language constructs would not prepare teacher candidates with an understanding of these constructs considered essential for early reading success. Results from a survey of basic language constructs revealed similar patterns in performance between teacher educators and their respective teacher candidates, which served as initial validation of the Peter Effect in reading teacher preparation.

What Do Preservice Teachers from the USA and the UK Know about Dyslexia

The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge base of preservice teachers from the USA and the UK of dyslexia as a language-based learning disability. A survey (both US and UK versions) was constructed using current research-based understandings of dyslexia as a language-based learning disability. One hundred and one preservice teachers from the USA and 70 preservice teachers from the UK were administered the survey. Results indicated that participants in the two groups demonstrated some similar accurate knowledge about dyslexia as well as displaying some common misunderstandings about dyslexia. Recommendations concerning preservice teacher preparation and professional development for in-service teachers about dyslexia as well as future research directions are discussed.

Preservice Teacher Knowledge of Basic Language Constructs in Canada, England, New Zealand, and the USA.

The present study examined preservice teachers’ (PSTs) knowledge of basic language constructs across four different English-speaking teacher preparations programs. A standardized survey was administered to participants from Canada (n = 80), England (n = 55), New Zealand (n = 26), and the USA (n = 118). All participants were enrolled in undergraduate university programs that led to teacher certification for general education in the primary grades. Our data reveal that preservice teachers from all four countries show patterns of relative strength in areas that were targeted to be crucial within their national initiatives. Nevertheless, in general, PSTs demonstrated a lack of knowledge of certain constructs needed to teach early reading skills. The results are discussed in relation to research reports and initiatives regarding beginning reading instruction from each of the four countries.

Introduction to the special issue on teacher knowledge from an international perspective

High-quality instruction is the key to ensuring that all children learn to read and write. Moreover, researchers have noted the important and positive impact that a knowledgeable teacher can make on a child’s literacy acquisition, particularly for children who struggle to acquire basic literacy skills (Moats, 2009; Snow et al., 1998, 2005). Thus, for a little over two decades, researchers have investigated what teachers know about basic reading components related to the spoken and written structure of the English language (e.g., phonology, orthography, morphology). Though this research has yielded both worrisome and promising findings about teacher content knowledge and its relationship to student literacy acquisition and achievement, most of the research has been conducted in the USA (Binks-Cantrell, Washburn, Joshi, & Hougen, 2012; Moats, 1994; Spear-Swerling & Brucker, 2003, 2004; Spear-Swerling, Brucker, & Alfano, 2005; Washburn, Joshi, & Binks-Cantrell, 2011). However, recently this research has expanded to encompass a more international perspective. In this special issue of teacher knowledge, this expansion of research on teacher knowledge is highlighted and includes empirical research from five continents. Additionally, this research includes a wider perspective, in which teacher knowledge of other languages and literacies besides for English, and English as a foreign language literacy acquisition in countries where English is neither a first nor second language and most of the teachers are non-native speakers, has been examined. Ann. of Dyslexia (2016) 66:1–6 DOI 10.1007/s11881-015-0119-6

The PEA Strategy: One Teacher's Approach to Integrating Writing in the Social Studies Classroom

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards many social studies teachers are faced with the task of very intentionally integrating writing instruction into their content curriculum. While this task may be daunting, there are research-based instructional frameworks to help teachers implement strategies to support student writing. In this manuscript the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), a research-based instructional framework for teaching writing strategies, is described as a helpful framework for designing writing curricula in the social studies classroom. The following manuscript includes a description of one teachers experience using SRSD to design and implement a strategy (the PEA Strategy) to support argument-based writing in the context of a social studies classroom. The PEA strategy as well as the six stages of SRSD are defined and supported with examples from the teachers integrated writing curriculum. Suggestions for implementation of SRSD are also provided.

The Use of a Cognitive Strategy to Support Argument-Based Writing in a Ninth Grade Social Studies Classroom

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of teaching a planning strategy for planning argument-based written responses on the writing performance of ninth grade students in the context of social studies. The Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model was used as an instructional framework to teach the planning strategy. Pre- and posttest writing samples from students who learned the strategy (n = 51) were collected and compared with writing samples from a comparison group (n = 39) who did not learn the strategy. Writing samples were analyzed for overall writing quality, argument-based components, and length. Analysis revealed that students who learned the planning strategy, on average, wrote longer responses and had higher scores on a measure of argument-based writing than students who were not taught the strategy. The results of this study support the use of teaching a planning strategy and SRSD for argument-based writing in social studies.

Teaching English Reading: What’s Included in the Textbooks of Pre-Service General Education Teachers?

Summary With changing demographics, pre-service general education teachers in many English-speaking countries will face the challenge of effectively teaching English language learners (ELLs) when they enter the classroom. Research into how to teach English reading has emphasized the importance of five essential components as summarized by the National Reading Panel, or NRP (2000): phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Other research suggests spelling and assessment are additional important components of reading instruction (Coltheart and Prior, 2007; Geva, 2000). Furthermore, pre-service teachers in countries with substantial numbers of ELLs need to learn strategies that are effective for teaching reading to ELLs (August and Shanahan, 2006). As reading in English may be taught differently in different countries, this chapter examines what pre-service general education teachers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore may be learning from their textbooks assigned for courses in reading instruction. These courses, and thus the textbooks, include both the theory and practice of reading, so pre-service teachers can build both a theoretical understanding of how reading skills develop and a practical knowledge of how to implement instructional activities that will promote their future students’ reading development. The chapter details the amount of inclusion of the NRP’s five components, plus spelling, assessment, and English as a second language (ESL), in 39 English reading textbooks for pre-service general education teachers. Page counts quantify how much each component was covered. Results showed

Teaching a Cognitive Strategy for Argument-based Writing in Middle School Social Studies

ABSTRACT With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy, as well as the onset of the C3 framework from the National Council of Social Studies, social studies teachers are tasked with integrating content and writing instruction in thoughtful and relevant ways. A middle school social studies teacher addressed this complex task by integrating a planning strategy for argument-based writing in his 8th-grade United States History class. To frame the teaching of the planning strategy and social studies content, the six instructional stages from the Self-regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model were used. This article highlights the teachers exploratory use of cognitive strategy instruction, SRSD, and impact on student writing.

Morphology Matters, but What Do Teacher Candidates Know About It?

Skilled reading is a complex process in which many subskills are involved, including an awareness of the morphological structure of language. Morphological awareness is the ability to understand how words are broken into meaningful units (e.g., affixes, root words). Explicit and systematic teaching of morphological concepts are reported to help striving readers, particularly those in upper elementary, middle, and secondary grades, with reading. To teach morphological concepts and their relation to reading, teachers need to have both awareness and knowledge of morphology. In the present study, general and special education teachers’ knowledge of morphological concepts are examined. Results indicate that teachers, regardless of type of certification (general vs. special education) or grade level (elementary vs. secondary), have difficulty identifying morphemes in both simple and complex words. Suggestions for what and how teacher educators can integrate the teaching of morphological concepts into teacher preparation contexts are provided.