Ed. Schools Getting Heat on Reading

By Ann Bradley

Concern over what is widely seen as America's literacy crisis is turning a harsh spotlight on education schools, which critics say are failing to prepare elementary teachers for their primary task: teaching children to read.

Proponents of strengthening reading instruction contend that neither the amount nor the content of most reading courses is adequate to ensure that teachers can reach all students. They argue that states, which have been lax in their oversight, must revise their standards for teacher preparation and licensure to make sure that new graduates understand what works best in teaching reading.

Teacher education programs don't devote enough time for future teachers to learn "what is basically a very complex task that requires a rather extensive knowledge base to do well--especially to teach reading to kids who don't teach themselves," argued Louisa Cook Moats, a reading expert. She directs a research project in the District of Columbia schools in conjunction with the National Institutes of Child...