Teachers as Readers and Writers and as Teachers of Reading and Writing

Abstract

Scholars such as L. Calkins (1993), D. H. Graves (1978, 1984, 1990, 1994), and R. Routman (1991, 1996) hypothesized that teachers must be confident, avid readers and writers to be effective reading and writing teachers. Three questions guided a case study that examined this hypothesis among 4 fourth-grade teachers nominated as exemplary reading and writing instructors. How did they describe themselves as readers and writers? What factors were most influential in their reading and writing teaching? How did they describe any relationships, or lack thereof, between their reading and writing and their reading and writing teaching? Interviews served as the primary data source. Findings indicate that although the teachers considered themselves to be competent readers and writers, their individual reading and writing experiences played little or no role in their effectiveness in teaching reading and writing.