What do effective teachers of literacy do? Subject knowledge and pedagogical choices for literacy

Abstract

This article explores the fine detail of practice by three teachers, all recognised as effective teachers of literacy. The three were observed during nine literacy lessons (three lessons each), working with Year 2 classes (6/7‐year‐olds) in successful inner‐city primary schools in the south of England. Data collection took place in 2003, just as their schools were moving away from the close early prescription of the National Literacy Strategy (NLS). Follow‐up visits were made in 2005. My initial interest had been in what these three teachers did with the NLS in order to motivate pupils and ensure high pupil attainment. Following observations, interviews and coding of teacher–pupil interaction, it became clear that The NLS Framework for Teaching was not the driver of their success but a valuable vehicle for subtle and intuitive teacher behaviours that grew from a detailed understanding of how children develop as readers and writers. Implications for training student teachers to marry theoretical understanding with the expectations of a prescribed curriculum for literacy are discussed.

Teachers matter: Measures of teacher effectiveness in low-income minority schools

“…The academic program is focused and purposefully well defined with readily apparent goals, lesson plans, long term plans, and assessments (Peterson et al 1991;Farr 2010). These findings are confirmed by research examining the practices of effective elementary teachers in low-income schools who have been successful in helping their students achieve literacy (Lazar 2006;Flynn 2007). Effective teachers implement routines, models, strategies, and carefully constructed approaches to scaffold student learning while also checking for understanding (Lazar 2006;Flynn 2007;Farr 2010).…”

“…These findings are confirmed by research examining the practices of effective elementary teachers in low-income schools who have been successful in helping their students achieve literacy (Lazar 2006;Flynn 2007). Effective teachers implement routines, models, strategies, and carefully constructed approaches to scaffold student learning while also checking for understanding (Lazar 2006;Flynn 2007;Farr 2010). Effective teachers are constantly preparing for their lessons and working relentlessly (Duncan-Andrade 2007; Farr 2010).…”

“…4 Characteristics of effective teachers in low-income, minority schools As the PAR coaches were able to identify both ineffective pedagogical practices and inappropriate dispositions of teachers who were doing harm to their students, researchers have identified common behaviors and observable characteristics of teachers who effectively serve students in low-income, minority schools (LadsonBillings 1994;Peterson et al 1991;Lazar 2006;Flynn 2007;Duncan-Andrade 2007;Farr 2010). Data from qualitative studies provide evidence of attributes of effective teachers and their teaching practices.…”

Service Learning in Teacher Preparation: Returns on the Investment

“…Participants in this study involved in the service learning experience were better able to articulate and support the literacy development of their case study students. Thereby, the complex process of teaching reading resides in the subject knowledge held by teachers and the interactions between the student and teacher, rather than a rigid set of teaching objectives (Flynn, 2007). Furthermore, the preservice teachers in this study demonstrated emerging if not developing characteristics of excellent teachers of reading as defi ned by the IRA (2000).…”

The emergence of reading literacy in post-primary teacher education: from the background to the foreground

“…Instead, it is felt that teacher educators should be fostering effective teachers of literacy who critically reflect on their own beliefs regarding literacy, who understand the specific needs of their adolescent students and who use an on-going broad and eclectic collection of methods to develop specialised subject-specific literacy skills (Flynn 2007;Hall and Harding 2003;Harrison 2004;Louden and Rohl 2006). It is through teaching such contextualised subject-specific literacy strategies that specialised subject content would become more meaningful, resulting in deeper learning and understanding of material (Heller and Greenleaf 2007;Kist 2000;Shanahan and Shanahan 2008).…”