Tutoring to build teacher candidates’ competence as reading teachers

ABSTRACT

As part of a literacy development course and a subsequent language arts methods course, teacher candidates (TCs) participated in a twenty-week community service learning partnership tutoring elementary students in reading. Through TCs’ case study course assignments, survey data, and a focus group interview, the researchers analyzed TCs’ growth including understanding of reading concepts, responsive teaching, and teaching values. The study provides specific evidence for the value of the tutoring experiences for the preparation of reading teachers including building their knowledge, responsiveness, reflective capacity, and awareness of issues in literacy instruction.

KEYWORDS:

• Tutoring
• literacy teacher preparation
• reading
• learning to read
• responsive teaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jodi Nickel

Jodi Nickel is a Professor at Mount Royal University. Her research interests include Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focused upon teacher reflection and learning through literacy tutoring, the emergence of professional identity, and teacher leadership.

Joy Chadwick

Joy Chadwick is an Assistant Professor at Mount Royal University. Her research focuses on students with exceptionalities and the exploration of the pedagogical understandings that support effective learning environments for all students.