Caroline Alphonso:

“If teachers know only 60 per cent of the correct responses, then they can only teach with 60 per cent accuracy to their students at best. So, it clearly does have impacts,” he said.

“It also tells us, across the faculties, that whatever we’re doing, we’re not quite doing enough,” he added. “We need to do more here to make sure that our teachers are well prepared for the schools.”

The challenge, he said, is trying to cover the teaching of foundational word-reading skills within the existing language arts curriculum in teacher-education programs. He said that his university is looking at developing an elective class on reading methods in the absence of a mandated course from the province’s teacher accreditation body.

When asked why reading instruction courses were not made mandatory, the Ontario College of Teachers, which regulates and licenses teachers, responded by saying that teacher education programs should enable educators to teach the Ontario curriculum, including math, reading and literacy.

In the meantime, some school districts are taking steps to change teaching practices in reading.

More.