| The 2007 Nation's Report Card revealed that | | | | course. They are required to model a |
| 43% of the eighth graders who took the National | | | | research-based strategy to their peers; complete |
| Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) | | | | an extensive case study of the reading attitudes, |
| reading test scored at the basic level. This means | | | | habits, and abilities of a middle or high school |
| that when given grade-level text, students scoring | | | | student; and write lesson plans and implement |
| at the basic level have "a literal understanding of | | | | several of the strategies they learn in class in |
| what they read and are able to make some | | | | their student teaching placements. |
| interpretations" (Lee, Grigg, & Donahue, 2007, p. | | | | Like any thoughtful teacher, I have concerns |
| 38). In 2007, 26% of eighth graders scored below | | | | about the transferability of what my student |
| basic, suggesting that reading comprehension is a | | | | teachers learn in my classroom to their own |
| serious problem for many U.S. adolescents. One | | | | middle and high school classes once they leave |
| approach to improve the literacy of our MBT | | | | the credential program. This article is an account |
| Shoes middle and high school students has been | | | | of a study in which I followed four preservice |
| to increase the course work required of | | | | teachers into their first year of teaching to trace |
| preservice teachers to include content area | | | | the development of their thinking about literacy in |
| literacy. The course commonly includes the goal of | | | | relation to their Clearance MBT Shoes content |
| helping preservice candidates understand that | | | | area teaching. I also tracked what and how much |
| teaching reading is the responsibility of all teachers, | | | | reading they required of their students and the |
| not just those that teach English. While these | | | | decision making and application of reading |
| courses include conceptual ideas, such as reading | | | | strategies associated with the assigned reading. |
| is rooted in a sociocultural context, the bulk of the | | | | The guiding questions for the study were |
| class is often devoted to teaching preservice | | | | 1. What and how much do the teachers ask their |
| teachers practical applications of research-based | | | | students to read? |
| reading and writing strategies for integration into | | | | 2. What reading strategies do teachers use, and |
| their content area lessons. | | | | why? |
| I teach such a course for secondary content area | | | | 3. What are the barriers to using reading |
| preservice teachers. In addition to strategy | | | | strategies in content area classrooms? |
| instruction, I also focus on the connections | | | | I provide some background and describe the |
| between social justice and literacy and encourage | | | | participants, the context, and the methodology |
| my students to consider how literacy empowers | | | | for the study. After the analysis, I present the |
| individuals. Generally, my students do well in the | | | | findings with recommendations for educators. |