| An important area of research is to determine those factors that influence a teacher's ability to instruct students effectively in the area of reading. One of the most common goals of reading teachers is to nurture the development of a lifetime habit of reading. Research has demonstrated that it may be difficult for teachers who do not enjoy reading to instill this value in their students. This relationship has been called the "Peter Effect" (Applegate & Applegate, 2004). This study explored the relationship between the past and current reading behaviours of preservice teachers in relation to their reading and writing ability. The study involved 227 preservice teachers: 138 females, 83 males, and 6 missing data. All of the participants responded to a questionnaire regarding reading behaviours and reading patterns. In addition, all participants were tested on the comprehension and reading rate components of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. One hundred and forty-four of the same participants also provided a writing sample. The results identified several characteristics of strong readers in preservice education. Subjects who received higher scores on the comprehension subtest of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test recalled a higher degree of early school emphasis on enjoying stories and mastering reading skills, frequent childhood visits to the library, and frequently being read to as a child. These individuals also reported that they read more often (presently) and also reported a higher degree of enjoyment associated with reading. Together, the current and future research in this area has the potential to inform curriculum development for teacher education programs in literacy instruction. |
