Discusses the various roles reading specialists are expected to play in the school. (FL)

To explore the facets of the roles of the reading specialist, data were gathered from 23 specialists concerning their values, their perceptions of the values of their principals, and their assessment of the skills in performing their various roles. The specialists were asked to read descriptions for the following roles: (1) resource person, (2)…

Interviews classroom teachers and reading specialists regarding their Chapter 1 reading programs. Finds specialists constructed their roles differently with each teacher, a lack of joint planning, different definitions of program impact reflecting different goals, and different philosophies regarding reading processes. Suggests that all teachers…

Finds that teachers who received the services of a reading field agent--a specialist hired specifically to assist classroom teachers in utilizing their reading resources to the fullest--showed some specific gains in their knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies. (GW)

The reactions of participants to the presentation sessions of a staff development training program were assessed using participant questionnaires and non-verbal metabehavior estimates of participant attitudes. Fifty reading specialists and administrators participated in a two-session workshop dealing with reading material and methods. Each session…

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare concepts of the ideal role and functions with the actual role and functions of the reading specialist. The public elementary reading specialists, classroom teachers, principals, and reading supervisors of Franklin County, Ohio, served as subjects. A Q-sort instrument was used for gathering the…

The views of three groups of educators regarding their ratings of the importance of individual competencies for reading specialists were investigated. The importance of selected modes used for helping reading specialists acquire these competencies were also studied. Data were gathered through the use of two rating instruments: the Competency…

Offers strategies that reading specialists can use to promote changes in school reading programs and in content area teachers' attitudes toward reading instruction. (FL)

A study compared the evaluations of junior and senior preservice teachers, supervising teachers, and reading specialists who observed a student's performance using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA). Four groups of subjects participated in the study. The first group consisted of 12 elementary education juniors who had just completed a…

Suggests that the most feasible way of achieving rapport between secondary school content area teachers and reading specialists is through in-service programs that utilize total school in-service, departmental in-service, individual in-service, total school and departmental in-service, or a combination of these approaches. (FL)

Compares the rankings made by reading consultants and reading teachers of eight dimensions of reading attitudes. Finds significant differences in the rankings of the two groups on only three of the attitudinal dimensions. (FL)

Finds that the keys to success were communication and collaboration between specialists and teachers. Notes that the participants expressed an awareness of the changing roles of reading specialists. Finds that major strengths were promoting self-esteem, fostering a love of reading, providing specialized instruction, serving as a student advocate,…