One of the most crucial problems facing teacher education today is one of relevancy. This cry for relevance suggests that what we in higher education do as we prepare students to become teachers is not compatible with the real world of the classroom. Backman tells us that as teacher educators we are perceived as (1) delivering preparation programs which have little real influence on the way in which our graduates actually teach; and (2) being completely out of touch with the actual teaching conditions in contemporary schools (1984)

Jamar, Donna

Pauls, Leo W.

English

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Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage ArtsVolume 27Issue 1 October 1986 Article 310-1-1986Reading Teachers Are Asked "What is Relevant Inthe Classroom?"Donna JamarEmporia State UniversityLeo W. PaulsEmporia State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizonsPart of the Education CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SpecialEducation and Literacy Studies at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage Arts by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. For moreinformation, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu.Recommended CitationJamar, D., & Pauls, L. W. (1986). Reading Teachers Are Asked "What is Relevant In the Classroom?". Reading Horizons: A Journal ofLiteracy and Language Arts, 27 (1). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol27/iss1/3READING TEACHERS ARE ASKED "WHAT IS RELEVANT IN CLASSROOM?" Donna Jamar and Leo W. Pauls Emporia State University Emporia, Kansas One of the most crucial problems facing teacher education today is one of relevancy. This cry for relevance suggests that what we in higher education do as we prepare students to become teachers is not compatible with the real world of the classroom. Backman tells us that as teacher educators we are perceived as (1) delivering prepar-ation programs which have little real influence on the way in which our graduates actually teach; and (2) being com-pletely out of touch with the actual teaching conditions in contemporary schools (1984). 19 Considering this perception, and to better prepare our students, we undertook a survey to determine if the activities used in our reading methods classes to teach identified course competencies were compatible with the teaching/-learning activities of the elementary classroom. A question-naire was developed listing twenty reading activities used to facilitate learning in meth-ods classes. In considering teach-ing activities to enhance learning, Nelli (1981) indicates that teacher preparation programs should be designed around generic competencies based on what beginning teachers should know and be able to do and at what levels of pro-ficiency. She identified two types of teacher competence to be considered: (1) functions and tasks of teaching and (2) behavior and action of the teacher. For our study, one hundred teachers from each of the first, third, and fifth grades were surveyed from randomly selected elementary schools in Kansas. The teachers were to select and rate those aCtIVItIes they felt were most relevant and should be taught in reading methods classes (preservice) and those most practical for classroom teaching (inservice). The ratings for each of the twenty items were on a scale of one to ten, with one being the highest or most useful. The teachers were also asked to list any addi-tional activities that they felt should be included to promote relevancy in teaching (both methods and classroom). The analyzed data are presented in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 3 sum marizes the additional activities teachers suggested for inclusion. Figure 1 indicates the overall average rating given by the first, third, and fifth grade teachers to each learning activity. The rating is based on the teachers I perceived importance of the activity for use in a reading methods dass. After all of the ratings (1 to 10) given by the study population were tabulated, each of the twenty items was then given an average score to determine those considered most useful. An average score of one (1) would be consid-2red the highest possible score while a twenty (20) would )e the lowest. The activity of "working on an individual basis with a :hild in a reading practicum involving diagnosis, analysis, ind remediation" was considered the most important. I'Knowing how to teach a lesson" was also rated very high. 20 Figure 1 Rank Ordered According to Average Rating for Methods Class 3.0 Work on an individual basis with a child in a reading practicum involving diagnosis, analysis, and remediation 3.3 Develop and teach a skills lesson 3.4 Observe children being taught a reading lesson 5.1 Administer a standardized reading test 6.2 Administer informal reading assessment measures 7.9 Develop goals for reading instruction 8.9 Administer an Informal Reading Inventory 9.5 Do a language-experience lesson with a group of children 10.2 Administer an IQ Test 10.3 Develop a week-long directed reading activity for a group of children 10.6 Develop a Case Report on a child 10.9 Administer a Cloze Test 12.3 Develop a directed reading lesson for the content fields 12.4 Group and schedule for reading instruction a hypo-thetical class of children 12.9 Evaluate one or two basal reading senes 13.8 Construct materials to aid in teaching the basic skills of reading 14.8 Write a philosophy of reading instruction 15.0 Administer serveral reading expectancy (potential) formulas 15.1 Administer several readability formulas 17.1 Analyze basal series to determine the extent of multi-cultural elements and the extent of activities for _______ ~~~e~~~~~~_~hj!~~~~ ________________________________ _ A survey conducted by Cheek (1982) supports this data. Her survey determined reading teachers' opInIons of reading courses taken at the undergraduate level. It reports that the most helpful topic covered in such courses was how to plan a reading lesson. 21 The activity considered the least important by teachers was to "analyze basal series to determine the extent of multicultural elements and the extent of activities for exceptional children." The overall average rating received by each activity on the basis ot Its perceived importance in an elementary classroom is shown in Figure 2. It is noted that to "develop a case report on a child" is considered most important while "administering readability formulas" IS considered least important of the twenty possible learning activities. Figure 2 Rank Ordered According to Average Rating in Classroom 4.3 Develop a Case Report on a child 4.6 Observe children being taught a reading lesson 4.7 Group and schedule for reading instruction a hypo-thetical class of children 5.6 Work on an individual basis with a child in a reading practicum involving diagnosis, analysis, and remediation 7.6 Write a philosophy of reading instruction 7.8 Administer a standardized reading test 8.6 Develop a week-long directed reading activity for a group of children 9.1 Adm inister several reading expectancy (potential) formulas 9.5 Analyze basal series to determine the extent of multicultural elements and the extent of activities for exceptional children 9.6 Evaluate one or two basal reading series 10.0 Administer an I Q Test 10.0 Develop goals for reading instruction 10.0 Develop and teach a skills lesson 10.7 Construct materials to aid In teaching the basic skills of reading 12.6 Develop a directed reading lesson for the content 22 fields 13.0 Administer informal reading assessment measures 13.4 Do a language-experience lesson with a group of children 15.3 Administer a Cloze Test 15.5 Administer an Informal Reading Inventory 16.0 Administer several readability formulas The teachers were given the opportunity to suggest additional learning activities they felt should be included in the teaching of reading methods at the university level. Among others, "making a resource file and materials" was expressed as a very important activity by several teachers. This was an interesting finding as one of the teaching aCtiVIties listed on the questionnaire, "Construct Materials to Aid in Teaching the Basic Skills of Reading," ranked 16th (with an average rating of 13.8) in importance as a methods class activity and 14th (with an average rating of 10.7) in importance as a classroom activity to enhance the teaching of reading. Figure 3 details additional suggested activities in order of perceived importance by the study population. Figure 3 More experience with class or children Gather resource file and materials Know several approaches to phonics/reading Be aware of available materials Know criteria needed to group children Have a complete foundation of phonics Prepare seat activities to be used during reading Know motivation techniques Develop activities to provide for exc. reading, low reader, high reader, etc. Get involved with children Know management techniques 23 13 13 7 6 6 6 5 5 3 2 2 Know evaluation activities Present a realistic picture of the situation Construct story starters to use in creative writing Make a poet ry file Visit and observe a remedial reading program More emphasis on language experience Professors need renewed classroom indoctrination Transpose reading concepts to other subject areas Learn to make reading an all day activity Know ways to assess child for level of reading Know about resource people Learn how to ask good questions Allow time for free reading Develop learning centers Have more communication with teachers Develop speaking and listening skills Teach selectivity of television viewing 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 It can be concluded that elementary teachers have definite opinions concerning what should be taught in college and university reading methods classes and what should be incorporated into reading inst ruction In the elementary grades. It is essential that instructors of methods classes and classroom teachers concern themselves with the results of this and similar studies and incorporate the more Impor-tant activities into their instructional programs. 24 REFERENCES Backman, Carl A. "Moving Teacher Education Toward thE Twenty-First Century: Reflections of a New Dean,1 Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 35 (Jan.-Febr. 1984) pp. 1-5. Cheek, Martha Collins. "Preservice Education in Reading What Do the Teachers Say? 11 Reading Psychology, vol. : (Jan. -March 1982), pp. 25 -3 5. Nelli, Elizabeth. "Program Redesign in Teacher Preparation, I Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 32 (Nov.-Dec. 1981) pp. 39-42. 25 

Reading Teachers Are Asked  What is Relevant In the Classroom?

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Reading Teachers Are Asked What is Relevant In the Classroom?

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