Professional Development

Teacher Knowledge Matters in Supporting Young Readers

By: Linda Fitzharris, Mary Blake Jones, and Allison Crawford (2008)

Knowing what teachers know and how they practice is necessary to ensure that there are professionals in every classroom meeting the diverse needs of students. Researchers evaluated case studies from a group of teachers and revealed four different levels of knowledge, indicating that future staff development needs to be differentiated and individualized.

Instructional Coaching

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2007)

Many school districts have adopted instructional coaching as a model for teachers’ professional development. This brief offers guidance on how school leaders can tailor the most promising coaching strategies to the needs of their schools.

Principal as Instructional Leader: Designing a Coaching Program That Fits

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2005)

Research shows that effective school leaders focus on improving classroom instruction, not just managerial tasks. A natural way for school leaders to take on the role of instructional leader is to serve as a "chief" coach for teachers by designing and supporting strong classroom level instructional coaching. Here's how to selecting a coaching approach that meets the particular needs of a school and how to implement and sustain the effort.

What Science Offers Teachers of Reading

By: Louise Spear-Swerling and Robert Sternberg (2001)

Excellent Reading Teachers

By: International Reading Association (2000)

Every child deserves excellent reading teachers because teachers make a difference in children's reading achievement and motivation to read.

Professional Development for Reading

By: Learning First Alliance (2000)

For teachers to help more children learn to read, their own learning must be a valued and integral part of their work. Here are guidelines for the conditions for and content of effective professional development in reading.

The Process of Professional Development

By: Learning First Alliance (2000)

In order to adopt research-based practices for teaching reading, teachers must be supported with quality professional development that helps them develop an extensive knowledge and skills base. This guide, written by Learning First Alliance (an organization of twelve national education associations), calls for changes in the context, process, and content of professional development in reading.

Why Have Teachers Been Left Unprepared to Teach Reading?

By: Louisa Moats (1999)

Teaching reading is a complex process that draws upon an extensive knowledge base and repertoire of strategies. This article argues that many novice teachers are underprepared to teach reading effectively, and examines some of the reasons why.

Knowledge and Skills for Teaching Reading

By: Louisa Moats (1999)

The knowledge and skills base required for teaching reading well is extensive. This outline of a proposed curriculum for teacher education programs in reading covers knowledge of reading development, language structure, and strategies for instruction and assessment.

The Need to Change the Way Children are Taught to Read

By: Susan Brady and Louisa Moats (1997)

Recent research has provided a clearer picture about reading difficulties and how to prevent them. This position paper of the International Dyslexia Association argues for reform in teacher preparation to reflect these research-based understandings.