Abstract
Reading disabilities such as dyslexia, a specific learning disability that affects an individual’s ability to process written language, are estimated to affect 15–20% of the general population. Consequently, elementary school teachers encounter students who struggle with inaccurate or slow reading, poor spelling, poor writing, and other language processing difficulties. However, recent evidence may suggest that teacher preparation programs are not providing preservice teachers with information about basic language constructs and other components related to scientifically based reading instruction. As a consequence preservice teachers have not exhibited explicit knowledge of such concepts in previous studies. Few studies have sought to assess preservice teachers’ knowledge about dyslexia in conjunction with knowledge of basic language concepts. The purpose of the present study was to examine elementary school preservice teachers’ knowledge of basic language constructs and their perceptions and knowledge about dyslexia. Findings from the present study suggest that preservice teachers, on average, are able to display implicit skills related to certain basic language constructs (i.e., syllable counting), but fail to demonstrate explicit knowledge of others (i.e., phonics principles). Also, preservice teachers seem to hold the common misconception that dyslexia is a visual perception deficit rather than a problem with phonological processing. Implications for future research as well as teacher preparation are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Al Otaiba, S., & Lake, V. (2007). Preparing special educators to teach reading: Using classroom-based assessments to judge response to intervention. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 20, 591–617.
Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step process. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423.
Birsh, J. (2005). Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (5th ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Bos, C., Mather, N., Dickson, S., Podhajski, B., & Chard, D. (2001). Perceptions and knowledge of preservice and inservice educators about early reading instruction. Annals of Dyslexia, 51, 97–120.
Bos, C. S., Mather, N., Narr Friedman, R., & Babur, N. (1999). Interactive, collaborative, professional development in early literacy instruction: Supporting the balancing act. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 14, 227–238.
Brady, S., Gillis, M., Smith, T., Lavalette, M., Liss-Bronstein, L., Lowe, E., et al. (2009). First grade teachers’ knowledge of phonological awareness and code concepts: Examining gains from an intensive form of professional development and corresponding teacher attitudes. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 4, 425–455.
Brady, S., & Moats, L. C. (1997). Informed instruction for reading success—Foundations for teacher preparation. A position paper of the International Dyslexia Association. Baltimore: International Dyslexia Association.
Braunger, J., & Lewis, J. P. (2005). Building a knowledge base in reading (2nd ed.). Newark: The International Reading Association.
Brozo, W. G., & Simpson, M. L. (2007). Content literacy for today’s adolescents (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Byrne, B. M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Chall, J. S. (1983). Stages of reading development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Cirino, P. T., Pollard-Durdola, S. D., Foorman, B. R., Carlson, C. D., & Francis, D. J. (2007). Teacher characteristics, classroom instruction, and student literacy and language outcomes in bilingual kindergartners. The Elementary School Journal, 107, 343–364.
Cunningham, A. E., Perry, K. E., Stanovich, K. E., & Stanovich, P. J. (2004). Disciplinary knowledge of K-3 teachers and their knowledge calibration in the domain of early literacy. Annals of Dyslexia, 54, 139–167.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). How teacher education matters. Journal of Teacher Education, 51, 166–173.
Dillman, D. (1978). Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method. New York: Wiley.
Fan, X. (1997). Canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling: What do they have in common? Structural Equation Modeling, 4, 65–79.
Guarino, A. J. (2004). A Comparison of first and second generation multivariate analysis: Canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. Florida Journal of Education Research, 42, 22–40.
Henry, M. K. (2005). The history and structure of written English. In J. Birsh (Ed.), The multisensory teaching of basic language skills (pp. 151–170). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Hudson, R. F., High, L., & Al Otaiba, S. (2007). Dyslexia and the brain: What does current research tell us? The Reading Teacher, 60, 506–515.
International Dyslexia Association (2007) Dyslexia basics. Available at: http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upload/Dyslexia_Basics_FS_-_final_81407.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct 2007
Johnk, D. W. (2008). A Comparison: Traditional canonical correlation analysis versus the MIMIC/SEM approach using a multi-group study of corporate size versus profitability. Available at: http://www.swdsi.org/swdsi08/paper/SWDSI%20Proceedings%20Paper%20S760.pdf. Accessed 1 May 2009
Joshi, R. M., Binks, E., Dean, E. O., & Graham, L. (2006). Roadblocks to reading acquisition: Is teacher knowledge one of them? Indianapolis: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Dyslexia Association.
Joshi, R. M., Binks, E., Graham, L., Dean, E., Smith, D., & Boulware-Gooden, R. (2009). Do textbooks used in university reading education courses conform to the instructional recommendations of the National Reading Panel? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 458–463.
Joshi, R. M., Binks, E., Hougen, M., Dahlgren, M., Dean, E., & Smith, D. (2009). Why elementary teachers might be inadequately prepared to teach reading. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 392–402.
Juel, C. (1988). Learning to read and write: A longitudinal study of children in first and second grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 437–447.
Kieffer, M. J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2007). Breaking down words to build meaning: Morphology, vocabulary, and reading comprehension in the urban classroom. The Reading Teacher, 61, 134–144.
Leu, D. J., Castek, J., Henry, L. A., Coiro, J. L., & McMullan, M. (2004). The lessons that children teach us: Integrating children’s literature and the new literacies of the Internet. The Reading Teacher, 57, 496–503.
Lyon, G. R. (1998). Overview of reading and literacy initiatives (Report to Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate). Bethesda: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.
Lyon, G. R., Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, B. A. (2003). A definition of dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 53, 1–14.
Mather, N., Bos, C., & Babur, N. (2001). Perceptions and knowledge of preservice and inservice teachers about early literacy education. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34, 472–482.
McCutchen, D., Abbott, R. D., et al. (2002). Beginning literacy: Links among teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student learning. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35, 69–86.
McCutchen, D., & Berninger, V. W. (1999). Those who know, teach well: Helping teachers master literacy-related subject-matter knowledge. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 14, 215–226.
McCutchen, D., Green, L., & Abbott, R. D. (2009). Further evidence for teacher knowledge: Supporting struggling readers in grades three through five. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 22, 401–423.
Moats, L. C. (1994). The missing foundation in teacher education: Knowledge of the structure of spoken and written language. Annals of Dyslexia, 44, 81–101.
Moats, L. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science: What expert teachers of reading should know and b able to do. Washington D.C.: American Federation of Teachers.
Moats, L. C. (2004). Science, language, and imagination in the professional development of reading teachers. In P. McCardle & V. Chhabra (Eds.), The voice of evidence in reading research (pp. 269–288). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Moats, L. C. (2009). Knowledge foundations for teaching reading and spelling. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 22, 379–399.
Moats, L. C., & Foorman, B. R. (2003). Measuring teachers’ content knowledge of language and reading. Annals of Dyslexia, 53, 23–45.
National Center for Education Statistics (2007). Nation’s report card. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2007/2007496_3.pdf. Accessed 11 Oct 2008
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2006). Digest of Education Statistics, 2005 (NCES 2006-030), Chapter 2. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=64. Accessed 21 Jan 2007
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups (NIH Publication No. 00-4754). Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
National Right to Read Foundation (n.d.). Principles of reading instruction based on the findings of scientific research on reading. Available at: http://www.nrrf.org/nichd.htm#overview. Accessed 11 Oct 2008
Neuman, S. B. (2001). The role of knowledge in early literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 36, 468–475.
Piasta, S. B., Connor McDonald, C., Fishman, B. J., & Morrison, F. J. (2009). Teachers’ knowledge of literacy concepts, classroom practices, and student reading growth. Scientific Studies of Reading, 13, 224–248.
Podhajski, B., Mather, N., Nathan, J., & Sammons, J. (2009). Professional development in scientifically based reading instruction: Teacher knowledge and reading outcomes. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 403–417.
Pollock, J., & Waller, E. (1997). Day-to-day dyslexia in the classroom (Revisedth ed.). London: Routledge.
Sanders, M. (2001). Understanding dyslexia and the reading process: A guide for educators and parents. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Scarborough, H. (2003). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading disabilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickson (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research (pp. 97–110). New York: Guildford Press.
Siegal, L. S. (2004). Basic cognitive processes and reading disabilities. In H. L. Swanson, K. R. Harris, & S. Graham (Eds.), Handbook of learning disabilities (pp. 158–181). New York: The Guildford Press.
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (2005). Knowledge needed to support the teaching of reading: Preparing teachers for a changing world. Washington: National Academy Press.
Spear-Swerling, L., & Brucker, P. O. (2003). Teachers’ acquisition of knowledge about English word structure. Annals of Dyslexia, 53, 72–103.
Spear-Swerling, L., & Brucker, P. O. (2004). Preparing novice teachers to develop basic reading and spelling skills in children. Annals of Dyslexia, 54, 332–364.
Spear-Swerling, L., & Brucker, P. O. (2006). Teacher-education students’ reading abilities and their knowledge about word structure. Teacher Education and Special Education, 29, 116–126.
Spear-Swerling, L., & Sternberg, R. J. (2001). What science offers teachers of reading. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 16, 51–57.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Taylor, B., Pearson, P. D., Clark, K., & Walpole, S. (1999). Beating the odds in teaching all children to read. Ann Arbor: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. CIERA Report Series 2-006.
Thompson, B. (1984). Canonical correlation analysis: Uses and interpretation. Newbury Park: Sage.
Thompson, B. (1991). A primer on the logic and use of canonical correlation analysis. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 24, 80–95.
Thompson, B. (2000). Ten commandments of structural equation modeling. In L. Grimm & P. Yarnell (Eds.), Reading and understanding more multivariate statistics (pp. 261–284). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Torgesen, J. K., Wagner, R. K., Rashotte, C. A., Lindamood, P., Rose, E., Conway, T., et al. (1999). Preventing reading failure in young children with phonological processing disabilities: Group and individual responses to instruction. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 579–593.
Treiman, R., & Zukowski, A. (1991). Levels of phonological awareness. In S. Brady & D. Shankweiler (Eds.), Phonological Processes in Literacy: A Tribute to Isabelle P. Liberman. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.
Vellutino, F. R., Fletcher, J., Snowling, M. J., & Scanlon, D. (2004). Specific reading disability (dyslexia): What we have learned in the past four decades. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 2–40.
Vellutino, F. R., Scanlon, D. M., Sipay, E. R., Small, S. G., Pratt, A., Chen, R., et al. (1996). Cognitive profiles of difficult-to-remediate and readily remediated poor readers: Early intervention as a vehicle for distinguishing between cognitive and experiential deficits as basic causes of specific reading disability. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 601–638.
Wadlington, E. M., & Wadlington, P. L. (2005). What educators really believe about dyslexia. Reading Improvement, 42, 16–33.
Walsh, K., Glaser, D., & Wilcox, D. D. (2006). What elementary schools aren’t teaching about reading and what elementary teachers aren’t learning? Available at: http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_reading_study_exec_summ_20071202065444.pdf. Accessed 23 Jan 2007
Washburn, E. K., Binks, E., & Joshi, R. M. (2007). What do secondary teachers know about dyslexia? Paper presented at the International Dyslexia Association Conference, Dallas, TX.
Washburn, E. K., Binks, E., & Joshi, R. M. (2008). What do preservice teachers know/believe about dyslexia? Poster presented at the International Dyslexia Association Conference, Seattle, WA.
Wong-Fillmore, L., & Snow, C. (2000). What teachers need to know about language. In C. T. Adger, C. E. Snow, & D. Christian (Eds.), What teachers need to know about language (pp. 7–54). Washington D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Washburn, E.K., Joshi, R.M. & Binks Cantrell, E. Are preservice teachers prepared to teach struggling readers?. Ann. of Dyslexia 61, 21–43 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-010-0040-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-010-0040-y