Abstract
This paper focused on a study in which 214 elementary and secondary teachers responded to a questionnaire on their early reading experiences. Special emphasis was placed on understanding teachers' perceptions related to the reading process by examining their early recollections of learning to read. A comparative analysis between reported positive and negative recollections yielded highly significant findings related to the variables: setting, age, most significant other, and locus of control. Implications and recommendations for the development and implementation of teacher education courses on content area reading instruction are discussed along with directions for future research.