A study obtained information from classroom teachers, principals, and reading specialists about what they believed was important in creating effective Chapter 1 programs. One-day meetings were held in three different parts of Pennsylvania during which each group of educators (who were recommended by an advisory board) were interviewed using focus…

The introductory section of the International Reading Association (IRA) annual report for 1981-82 briefly discusses recent developments concerning the organization, including its efforts to support education in the federal legislature. It also outlines various literacy projects in which the IRA participates, such as Literacy Support, Newspapers in…

Intended as a basis for the development of cooperation between school counselors and reading personnel, this paper discusses counselor involvement in secondary school reading programs. The various sections of the paper contain the following: (1) an overview of the role of the school counselor at the secondary school level, (2) an overview of…

Discusses a series of six studies that investigated the performance of 66 reading and learning disabilities specialists and classroom teachers who diagnosed simulated reading or learning disability cases and suggested remediation plans. Results indicate that both commonality and individual agreement among participants was very low. (AEA)

Identifies five teacher-assistance models that rely on formal support systems for classroom teachers as they engage in the teaching of reading. States several characteristics of effective support teachers. (MG)

The relationship between talk and learning has been well documented in preservice and inservice teachers' and administrators' education. These studies demonstrate that talk is a central part of teacher learning and change, that particular forms of talk are more or less effective for such change to take place, and that talk must be conducted over…

Intended for reading specialists who wish to become expert resource persons, this book provides a number of suggestions on how to bring about change in the attitudes of other educators concerning the place of the reading specialist in regular classroom settings. The nine chapters of the book provide the following information: (1) an overview of…

Presents methods for reading supervisors in their role as instructional leaders, including: modeling instructional strategies and techniques, holding group meetings to discuss concerns and needs, encouraging attendance at reading conferences by paying for expenses, supervisor observation, and teacher self-evaluation. (RS)

Literacy coaching is a very hot topic (Cassidy & Cassidy, 2007) that has been spurred on by two opposite belief systems. On one hand, the Reading First schools can receive federal funding to hire coaches to raise test scores. This has led some teachers to characterize coaches as "test-prep enforcers." On the other hand, Bean, Swan…

Many state certification recommendations in reading education do not clearly define "certification." This produces a number of questions, among them the following: (1) Do reading teachers who are likely to teach reading at either the secondary or elementary level need a developmental course at both levels? (2) Should there be discrete courses in…

The scientific approach with humans is usually subject to many human and environmental variables that are difficult to control. Reading behavior and reading disability are two of the most researched topics in education and psychology, yet reading research continues to abound with contradictions. Standardized tests, speed reading, and computer…

This paper explores the professional preparation of remedial reading specialists for the community college. Various sections of the paper discuss the following topics: (1) the need for more reading specialists at the community college level, (2) the past training of college reading specialists, (3) undergraduate training of college reading…

An account of the Barking Reading Project designed to prepare classroom teachers (instead of reading specialists) to respond to children with severe reading difficulties. The subject of a two-year government research study, the project's findings endorse initiatives that promote classroom teacher ability to make good teaching decisions relating to…

Thirty-eight college students were the subjects of a study designed to examine the efficacy of training graduate reading specialists through a diagnosis simulation program versus the use of a traditional child study approach. The major task of this investigation was to compare, by way of univariate or multivariate analysis, various combinations of…

Describes how reading specialists could function as collaborative consultants, spending the preponderance of their time working with other adults to meet the needs of students. Discusses curriculum development, instructional problem solving, assessment, and parent liaison. (SR)