Chapter 8: Learning to read and Reading to learn through Literacy Memories: An Implementation of the ABCs Model in a Reading Methods Course

The focus of preparing teacher candidates (i.e., candidates) for culturally responsive teaching is not new to teacher preparation programs across the United States (e.g., Cochran-Smith, Davis, & Fries, 2004; Ladson-Billings, 2004; Sleeter, 2001). It is common for candidates to take a course on diversity before taking methods courses. Early studies have shown that candidates’ writing up their own literacy experiences and interviewing a peer nudge them to become aware of their own and others’ cultural and linguistic experiences (e.g., Finkbeiner, 2006; Ruggiano Schmidt & Finkbeiner, 2006). However, little is known about how candidates would translate their awareness of diversity issues into their teaching in a subject area, for instance, reading instruction. This study would address this gap in research by replicating a similar study (Xu, 2006) with predominantly Caucasian teacher candidates. The participants in this study reflected a richer layer of linguistic and cultural diversity.