Terry S. Atkinson

Learning to teach struggling (and non‐struggling) elementary school readers: An analysis of preservice teachers’ knowledges

Abstract The purpose of this research was to describe elementary school preservice teachers* beliefs, understandings, and instruction of struggling and non‐struggling readers as they evolved over time in two university reading education courses with a field component. Using a qualitative content analysis, we analyzed the assignments of 22 preservice teachers across one year of their teacher education program. We found that, throughout the year, preservice teachers improved in their abilities to integrate their personal, practical, and professional knowledges to inform their reading instruction. Their misunderstandings surrounding reading instruction decreased while their abilities to examine reading instruction critically and estimations of their preparedness to teach struggling readers increased. Preservice teachers’ views about the value of assessing students’ reading proficiency became increasingly more positive as did perceptions about the importance of tutoring struggling readers. Finally, implications are made to suggest how university reading education courses may support the learning and development of future preservice teachers.

Reading Instruction for the Struggling Reader: Implications for Teachers of Students with Learning Disabilities or Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Abstract There is a growing problem in American school classrooms: Students who read meaningfully and with enthusiasm are fewer than ever before. The challenge of meeting the needs of widely diverse student populations, including those with learning and/or behavioral differences, is great. Implications for teachers struggling to meet the demands of standards and accountability while at the same time fostering competence in and a love for reading cannot be ignored. It is critical to match the reading instruction program to the specific needs of the student. In an effective reading program for students with disabilities, the teacher will fine-tune strategies based on individual needs while best practice techniques will guide the design of the program. Helping all students learn to read requires the provision of productive strategies and reading tasks that foster success. Seventy percent of eighth-grade students think reading is boring. Less than 45 percent of them perform above a basic reading level; only 7 percent can read at an advanced level required to critically analyze text or extract information from multiple sources. These are the same children who started their reading education with enthusiasm and interest in first and second grade. (University of Maryland, 2001, p. 2)

Who's Teaching, Who's Learning? Analyzing the Professional Growth of Graduate Student Tutors

This qualitative study examined the professional growth of literacy teachers as they scaffolded students’ one‐to‐one literacy learning within a university reading clinic tutoring experience. These teachers – graduate students within a reading education program – documented both their own learning and that of their students through various venues. These included the data sources considered for this study: teaching videotapes, email correspondence with the university instructor, online discussions with colleagues, and final reflective essays. Findings suggested that substantive learning by these literacy teachers influenced not only their tutees but also their own professional growth, impacting their classroom practice and the wider educational community. Implications of such teacher learning within educational settings employing high‐stakes testing and accountability were considered.

Cognitive and motivational effects of seeking academic assistance

Abstract The instructional needs of a student who sought assistance for his continuing academic difficulties within his high school setting were examined. The authors evaluated how his perception of his academic and motivational performances compared with the perceptions of his parents, school officials, and those professionals who conducted 3 psy-choeducational evaluations for a learning disability during his middle and high school years. None of the 3 evaluations considered the quality of the students classroom instruction, school grading practices, or study strategies, all of which increased his vulnerability to risk. Discussion focuses on the question of whether the students negative learning and motivational profiles might have improved if his schools attempts to provide academic assistance had adopted a broader and more comprehensive focus.

We're Not Just Whistling Dixie: Policymakers' Perspectives on State Education Reform.

Abstract This case study examined the impetus for and impact of a high‐stakes assessment plan and reform initiative, North Carolinas ABC Plan for Public Education, from the perspective of state level policymakers and local level implementers. It extends the findings of two previous studies (Miller, Hayes, & Atkinson, 1997a; 1997b) examining how state policymakers informed local level implementers (administrators and practitioners) about decisions leading up to the reform initiative. Holding teachers and schools accountable for students’ test scores was clearly understood by all participants in the study to be the centerpiece of the reform. As the initiative was implemented, practitioners received little support for aligning their instructional practices so that they were not only congruent with the reform, but were also supportive of meaningful teaching and learning. After one year, implementation of The ABCs of Public Education resulted in an adversarial relationship between local level implementers and state level policymakers. Test scores on the states assessment were the bottom line—and with the states policymakers in control, it continues to drive the reform. This case study suggests that policymakers and practitioners alike could collaboratively focus on more fruitful and effective future visions for educational reform. Final conclusions are presented with a backdrop of existing research in the area of educational reform and assessment, political and public influence, and policy implementation.

Using word study instruction with developmental college students

This study investigates the effect of word study instruction on the orthographic knowledge of college students enrolled in a developmental reading course. Results revealed significantly greater improvement in orthographic knowledge in students who received word study instruction when compared with those in a control group, suggesting that the word study approach was effective for these students. Because of the influence of orthographic knowledge on spelling, writing and reading, additional research is merited to examine how word study intervention impacts the reading behaviours and academic achievement of college students enrolled in developmental education courses.

Voices in Videoconferencing: Technology Integration in Teacher Education Courses.

Abstract This manuscript describes the efforts of several instructors who incorporated videoconferencing in their teacher education courses at two large universities in the southeastern United States. Professors preparing teachers to teach elementary and middle school examined their interactive videoconference experiences linking preservice teachers with students in real classroom settings. Three projects are described. The first project involved “teleobservation” whereby professors co-taught with K-6 classroom teachers while preservice teachers observed. The second project focused on a middle-grades English Language Arts professor whose preservice teachers observed middle school students in real time. In the third project, a university professor served as a live audience for an elementary Reader’s Theatre performance. The lessons learned through the evaluation of these three projects are discussed.

Examining relationships between home-based shared book reading practices and children’s language/literacy skills at kindergarten entry

ABSTRACT At start-up of a book distribution programme (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library) in a southeastern United States community, we examined baseline relationships between at-home shared book reading (SBR) and children’s language/literacy abilities and skills at kindergarten entry. One hundred fifty-two parent/child dyads participated; children (53% male) had a mean age of 5 years, 6 months. Survey data included family demographics, SBR frequency and practices, and children’s interest in reading. Household income and parent education level were positively associated with SBR frequency. Relationships between SBR frequency and children’s performance on measures of print concepts/ reading behaviours, narrative retelling, narrative comprehension, and interest in reading were statistically significant. Performance on a letter naming fluency and phonemic segmentation measure was significantly related to the SBR practice of stopping to ask the child about letters or words but not to SBR frequency. Differential associations are discussed in terms of constrained and unconstrained abilities and skills, with implications for future research.