Improving Student Teacher Preparedness in Reading Instruction

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving Student Teacher Preparedness in Reading Instruction

AU - Milne, Jennifer

AU - Topping, Keith

N1 - © 2025 by the authors.

PY - 2025/1/16

Y1 - 2025/1/16

N2 - Background: Learning to read is a complex linguistic and cognitive process. Despite the ever-growing body of empirical evidence, the complex knowledge and skills needed to teach all children to read have not been passed to trainee and in-service teachers. Methods: This study examined the delivery and evaluation of a short, intense literacy elective course, with 9 h of learning for trainee primary/elementary teachers, focused on the key knowledge areas of phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, and reading assessment. An open questionnaire was administered to 16 trainee teachers: they completed this same questionnaire prior to beginning the elective and again after. The questionnaire focused on the understanding of quality reading instruction, at-risk readers, and provision for struggling readers. The data were analyzed using a qualitative interpretational analysis (QIA). Results: The lowest levels of understanding at the outset were in reading fluency instruction and reading assessment: these areas then showed the greatest knowledge development. Importantly, by post test, participants increased access to evidence-based literature and resources. Feedback demonstrated the high value placed by the group on this learning. Conclusions: This approach improved trainee teachers’ content knowledge to teach reading in a short time. Initial Teacher Education should increase its focus on reading, a crucial foundation skill.

AB - Background: Learning to read is a complex linguistic and cognitive process. Despite the ever-growing body of empirical evidence, the complex knowledge and skills needed to teach all children to read have not been passed to trainee and in-service teachers. Methods: This study examined the delivery and evaluation of a short, intense literacy elective course, with 9 h of learning for trainee primary/elementary teachers, focused on the key knowledge areas of phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, and reading assessment. An open questionnaire was administered to 16 trainee teachers: they completed this same questionnaire prior to beginning the elective and again after. The questionnaire focused on the understanding of quality reading instruction, at-risk readers, and provision for struggling readers. The data were analyzed using a qualitative interpretational analysis (QIA). Results: The lowest levels of understanding at the outset were in reading fluency instruction and reading assessment: these areas then showed the greatest knowledge development. Importantly, by post test, participants increased access to evidence-based literature and resources. Feedback demonstrated the high value placed by the group on this learning. Conclusions: This approach improved trainee teachers’ content knowledge to teach reading in a short time. Initial Teacher Education should increase its focus on reading, a crucial foundation skill.

KW - Reading instruction

KW - teacher education

KW - teacher preparedness

KW - evidence-based practice

KW - literacy

KW - reading instruction

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85216022710

U2 - 10.3390/educsci15010097

DO - 10.3390/educsci15010097

M3 - Article

SN - 2227-7102

VL - 15

JO - Education Sciences

JF - Education Sciences

IS - 1

M1 - 97

ER -