Chapter 3: Scaffolding Pre-Service Teachers’ Data Literacy Skills in a Literacy Methods Course

Many new teachers report being underprepared to support the literacy needs of students. Students bring an array of literacy needs to the classroom and early, intensive intervention is crucial for students at risk of reading failure (Jenkins et al., 2000). To better prepare preservice teacher (PST) candidates to work in today’s classrooms, teacher education programs need to emphasize authentic learning opportunities for PSTs to work with diverse P–12 learners (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005). The PSTs’ efficacy in using assessment to drive instruction and his or her knowledge and skills working with diverse students (Spear-Swerling, 2009) can be crucial to their professional development. In addition, PSTs are more prepared if they know how to work with diverse learners including students with reading disabilities (Spear-Swerling, 2009; Washburn et al., 2011).