Teachers as Readers: Survey of Teacher Personal Reading Habits and Literacy Activities in the Classroom.

A study examined how reading teachers' reading habits impacted their teaching practices. Subjects, 625 teachers who attended the Book and Author Luncheon at the 1993 International Reading Association in San Antonio, completed a survey. Teachers represented all 50 states and Canada. Results indicated that: (1) the majority of the teachers viewed themselves as avid readers who read many books and kept up with professional journals; (2) few teachers read journals about book lists and reviews on a regular basis; (3) they are still very concerned about the discrepancy between reading/writing instructional outcomes in the classroom and the competency based minimal skills testing; (4) their reading pedagogy was based upon what they know good readers do rather than explicitly including methods which would motivate reluctant readers; and (5) they knew least about working with aliterate or unmotivated readers. Findings suggest that as instruction is changed to accommodate the aliterate/reluctant reader, it might be beneficial to include more nonfiction, more active, hands-on learning literacy activities, and more reader response fostering reading/writing as a social activity. (RS) *********************************************************************** * .Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Margaret H. Hill University of Houston -Clear Lakc 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Box 162 Houston, TX 77058 (713) 283-3533 G. Kylenc Beers University of Houston Devon 4727 Houston, TX 77027 (713) 961-2902 TEACHERS AS READERS: SURVEY OF TEACHER PERSONAL READING HABITS AND LITERACY ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOM (RUNNING HEAD: READING TEACHER SURVEY) PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF NATIONAL READING CONFERENCE CHARLESTON, NORTH CAROLINA DECEMBER 1, 1993