An inservice programme in developmental reading for ninth-grade content area teachers

Mercer, Carla Elaine May (1974) An inservice programme in developmental reading for ninth-grade content area teachers. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This internship project was primarily concerned with the implementation of an inservice programme in developmental reading for ninth-grade content area teachers. The major purpose of the programme was to help these teachers understand and apply teaching techniques and procedures to help their students improve their reading-study skills and to achieve subject matter objectives more completely. -- Prior to implementing the inservice programme the intern assessed the present school situation regarding content area reading instruction to identify the teachers' specific inservice needs. Various sources of information were used to familiarize the intern with existing procedures, including a checklist pertaining to teachers' current practices regarding content area reading instruction and an attitude inventory designed to assess teachers' attitudes toward such instruction. -- The information obtained from these sources revealed that no organized programme of reading instruction existed in the school. It was apparent from the teachers' responses that they recognized the need for content area reading instruction and were willing to provide it. However, they felt that the teaching of reading required specialized training and therefore they questioned their competence to provide such instruction. -- The results also indicated that teacher support for a reading programme in the content areas was already present. Therefore, the inservice programme was mainly concerned with developing teachers' knowledge about reading instruction and helping them achieve some degree of competence in this area. This programme was implemented through such means as formal and informal meetings, classroom demonstrations of reading skill activities and written resource materials. These inservice activities were concerned with: (1) identifying the reading-study skills which should be emphasized in each content area, (2) constructing, administering and interpreting informal reading inventories to ascertain students reading needs, (3) helping teachers formulate procedures for teaching reading-study skills in content area classes, and (4) supplying teachers with multi-level reading lists to enable them to provide materials suited to the reading levels of their students. -- Teachers' responses to a questionnaire which was designed to assess their opinions regarding the value of the inservice programme indicated that the programme was worthwhile in helping them to develop an understanding of reading-study skills and also in helping them to apply techniques for teaching these skills in regular subject matter classes.

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