A reading specialist who worked in a high-poverty urban elementary school that initially did not have an exemplary reading program provides seven lessons that can serve as a guidepost for other reading specialists. Several approaches that led to improved reading achievement of upper elementary school children are described. The seven lessons, when…

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…

On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004). The revised law is different from the previous version in at least one important respect. Whereas practitioners were previously encouraged to use IQ-achievement discrepancy to identify children with learning disabilities…

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)…

At present there is controversy among members of the International Reading Association (IRA) regarding the role that IRA should assume in addressing the questions of accrediting graduate programs in reading education and certifying reading professionals. In this document, four reading educators present their views on these issues. The first…

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…

The teacher in the school of tomorrow will have a variety of roles. One of the more important will be that of diagnostician. Perceptive assistance for the teacher as diagnostician is available from the school psychologist, the social caseworker, the guidance worker, and the reading clinician. The services of all district personnel should be…

This report explains the role of reading/language arts resource specialists, contains tips for setting up a resource specialist program, and presents data--and discussions of this data--collected in a field testing of a staff development project conducted by the Florida Right to Read effort during the 1973-74 school year. The latter half of the…

The reading resource teacher program established in the Madison, Wisconsin, Public Schools is described. Volunteer classroom teachers were given 20 hours of special training in reading and one-half day a week released time to assist their principals in reading curriculum development. Such consideration as cost, teacher-ability differences, staff…

The ways the administrative staff of the Carleton (Ontario) Catholic School Board has tried to promote change in the teaching of reading have encouraged more than half the teachers to use individualized reading programs. By using workshops, large and small interactions with a consultant, and individual consultations, the entire teaching staff has…

Special training and professional responsibilities for reading specialists should be priority concerns of those interested in reading. There are three basic shortcomings in professional preparation today: (1) leaders and experts are inadequate; (2) course work for certification is not the crucial key to good reading teachers; and (3) too much…

The Michigan Education Association recommends a task-force approach as one of the solutions to increasing the acquisition of additional skills for all elementary teachers in education and communication skills. An inservice model was developed to be used primarily with inner-city elementary pupils, but the basic design is applicable for use with…

Against a background of declining student performance and fragmented programs, the Oakland (California) Unified School District reorganized its reading programs and instructional support personnel. This included reorganization of the central office, new positions, and a new department of curriculum and instruction. An instructional strategy…

Discusses a method to motivate low level students in which a reading specialist attended class regularly as a "student." By questioning the teacher, comparing notes with students, and acting as a role model, the reading specialist helped these students improve their grades, their class behavior, and increase their self-esteem. (GEA)

Supports the contention that learning disability and remedial reading professionals provide a similar service and, lacking interdisciplinary coordination, are in danger of duplicating services. Indicates support for interdisciplinary training that would foster coordination. (FL)