Bruinsma, Robert  W.

English

University of Calgary Journal Hosting

The Alberta Journal of Educational Research Vol. 52, No. 1, Spring 2006, 99-102Research NoteRobert W. BruinsmaThe King’s University College, EdmontonAre They Ready to Teach Reading and Writing?The Preparation of Preservice ElementaryLanguage Arts Teachers in Canadian UniversitiesIntroductionFor the past 24 years I have been teaching in an undergraduate preserviceeducation program. My main teaching assignments have been courses in lan-guage arts, children’s literature, and corrective reading. My professional re-sponsibilities have also included the supervision of student teachers (primarilyin K-6 classrooms) in public, separate, and independent schools in the greaterEdmonton, Alberta area. During that time I have had many conversations withclassroom teachers and principals about their perceptions of the preparednessof newly graduated elementary schoolteachers to teach reading and writing totheir students. A frequent assertion from them is that beginning teachers havenot been well prepared by universities to teach the critically important literacycomponents of the elementary curriculum. They point out that many Canadianschool boards employ large contingents of reading consultants and specialiststo provide not only specialist diagnostics and remedial services, but also basicliteracy education for beginning teachers.A literature search turned up only one recent Canadian study of requiredpreservice literacy courses. MacFaddin and Godinovich (2001) reported on astudy done in British Columbia by the BC Literacy Council of the InternationalReading Association (IRA) that focused primarily on secondary reading pro-grams and indicated that no BC teacher education program required anyreading/literacy courses for preservice secondary teachers. It also mentionedthat elementary preservice teachers in the province were required to take aminimum of two courses in literacy for certification.The IRA recommends that preparation for teaching elementary school(grades 1-5) should include at least 15 credit hours in basic reading and lan-guage arts courses, children’s literature, and developmentally appropriatepractices (Berger, 1998).To ascertain the level of preparation in reading/literacy pedagogy requiredof preservice elementary teachers in Canadian universities, I conducted a sur-vey in 2004 of all 36 teacher education institutions with AUCC membershipand accredited by provincial ministries of education and/or colleges of teach-ers (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 2004).Robert Bruinsma is a professor of education and the Associate Vice-President (Academic). He canbe reached at robert.bruinsma@kingsu.ca.99MethodologyIn June 2004 a one-page questionnaire (see Appendix) was sent to the dean oreducation department chair of the 36 education programs. A stamped, self-ad-dressed return envelope accompanied the questionnaire. A brief follow-upletter and another copy of the questionnaire was mailed out to nonrespondersin November 2004.Responses were recorded in terms of the number of one-semester courses inliteracy (3 hours of instruction per week for 12-14 weeks) required for gradua-tion from an undergraduate preservice education program. Literacy courseswere defined as any courses related to the pedagogy of the elementary (K-6)language arts. These included courses described in calendars as language arts,reading (developmental, corrective, remedial, content area), children’s litera-ture (taught in the education faculty), linguistics for teachers, and writing(developmental, remedial, across the curriculum). Space was also provided forlisting elective literacy courses and for making additional comments.ResultsBy October 2004, 16 (44.4%) responses had been received. The follow-up letterto nonresponders resulted in eight additional responses, bringing the totalresponse rate to 23 of a possible 36 (63.8%). Table 1 reports the number andpercentage distribution of reading/literacy-related courses required of preser-vice education undergraduates for the 23 respondents.As shown in Table 1, most (52.2%) teacher education programs require twoone-semester courses in reading/literacy. Nineteen (82.6%) of the programssurveyed require either one or two one-semester courses. One program (4.3%)had no requirement, and three programs (13.0%) required three such one-semester courses.Most programs provided a number of reading/language arts-related op-tional courses as well, but this research did not determine what percentage ofundergraduate teacher trainees completed such optional courses. Three re-sponses included the comment that the requirements were “inadequate” oreven “woefully inadequate.”DiscussionTo my knowledge there are no specific national Canadian standards for thepreparation of elementary teachers to teach literacy. The IRA, which also has asignificant Canadian membership, has prepared a number of documents thatTable 1Required One-Semester Literacy Courses for Elementary Education Studentsin English-Language Canadian UniversitiesN Percentage0 Courses 1 4.3%1 Course 7 30.4%2 Courses 12  52.2%3 Courses 3 13.0%Total 23 99.9%R.W. Bruinsma100deal with standards for the preparation of regular elementary classroom teach-ers who teach literacy. One such recent document is a brochure entitled Invest-ment in Teacher Preparation in the United States (IRA, 2003), which laments thegreat variability in the competence of beginning teachers to teach literacy asthey emerge from their teacher preparation programs (from 3-24 semesterhours). The document argues for much better and consistent standards for suchteacher education and features five key standards that the Association adoptedin 1998 and revised in 2003. The 2003 standards are published on the IRA’sWeb site (IRA, 2004) and have also been adopted by the National Council forAccreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the largest teacher educationaccrediting body in the US. Three or four specific pedagogic skills or reper-toires that a teacher demonstrates as a result of meeting the standard followeach of the five standards. The five standards include:1. Foundational knowledge of reading and writing processes and instruction.2. Knowledge of instructional strategies and curriculum materials to supportreading and writing.3. Assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation of reading instruction.4. Creating a literate environment based on an understanding andimplementation of Standards 1-3.5. A commitment to professional development as a career-longresponsibility.When one examines the detailed skills and dispositions tied to these stan-dards, and when one adds to that the responsibility of preparing preserviceteachers to teach the listening, speaking, and viewing components that arenormally part of the language arts curriculum, it is difficult to imagine that allthis can be adequately covered in the one- or even two-semester courses thatare typically required of Canadian preservice elementary teachers.ConclusionThis research report is intended to stimulate discussion in Canadian teachereducation faculties about the adequacy of preservice literacy curricula toprepare Canada’s elementary teachers for their crucial role as teachers of liter-acy. Further research is needed on the content of the basic course(s) required ofelementary preservice teachers in order to provide an understanding of justwhat it is that beginning teachers are taught to know and do regarding literacyinstruction and whether such content meets the standards set out by profes-sional organizations such as the IRA.ReferencesAssociation of Universities and Colleges of Canada. (2004). Directory of Canadian universities.Ottawa: Author.Berger. A. (1998). Handbook for preparing for an International Reading Association (IRA)/NationalCouncil for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) program review in reading. Newark, DE:International Reading Association.International Reading Association. (2003). Investment in teacher preparation in the United States: Aposition statement of the International Reading Association. Newark, DE: Author. Retrieved July5, 2006, from: www.reading.orgInternational Reading Association. (2004). Standards for reading professionals—Revised 2003.Newark, DE: Author. Retrieved July 5, 2006, from from www.reading.orgMacFaddin, R., & Godinovich, N. (2001). Who should teach reading through the grades? ReadingToday, 19(1), 15.Are They Ready to Teach Reading and Writing?101AppendixPreservice Elementary Education Literacy Preparation SurveyIntroductionThis brief survey has been sent to the Education Departments/Faculties of the 36 universities andcolleges identified in the 2004 edition of Directory of Canadian Universities published by theAssociation of Universities and Colleges of Canada (p. 444) as offering programs in ElementaryEducation and Teaching. The intent of this survey is gather baseline data about the number andtype of language arts, reading, and other literacy-related courses required for graduation ofstudents enrolled in pre-service elementary education programs (K-6). The information receivedwill not be used to identify any of the institutions providing the data.InstructionsPlease complete the questionnaire as accurately as possible and mail it back to the investigator inthe business return envelope provided. Alternately, you may fax it c/o Dr. Robert Bruinsma at780-465-3524. I can also be contacted at robert.bruinsma@kingsu.ca Thank you for your assistance.DATE:______________________  NAME OF INSTITUTION: _______________________________________________TITLE AND NAME OF PERSON COMPLETING THIS FORM (Optional):_____________________________________________________________________________________E-MAIL CONTACT (Optional):___________________________________________APPROXIMATE UNDERGRADUATE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION ENROLLMENT:________LITERACY-RELATED COURSES REQUIRED TO GRADUATE (Please list by calendar number,title and credit value). Examples of such courses include any related to the pedagogy of theelementary language arts, reading (developmental, corrective, remedial, content area), children’sliterature (taught in the Education faculty), linguistics for teachers, writing (developmental,across the curriculum).COURSE NO. COURSE TITLE NO. OF CREDITS______________ __________________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________________ _______________ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: (Please add any comments that you feel may be useful. Forexample, I am also interested in knowing whether there are optional literacy courses available toyour students in addition to those required for graduation.)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________R.W. Bruinsma102

Are They Ready to Teach Reading and Writing? The Preparation of Preservice Elementary Language Arts Teachers in Canadian Universities

https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/ajer/article/download/55115/42167

Are They Ready to Teach Reading and Writing? The Preparation of Preservice Elementary Language Arts Teachers in Canadian Universities

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Calgary Journal Hosting