The Far Reaching Influence of Early Literacy Education: Beginning Teachers Look to Their Own Early Literacy Teachers as Role Models for Their Teaching

Abstract

This qualitative research study examined how the professional practice of six beginning elementary teachers was influenced by their own childhood literacy teachers. Results illustrate that the participants' early literacy experiences varied greatly as did the ways in which those experiences intersected with their teaching practice. The participants all reported modeling their teaching after one or two specific teachers from their own childhoods. Using these role models as guides, the participants focused on teaching students whose needs were similar to their own needs as students. Implications for preservice and inservice teacher education are discussed.

Keywords

• early literacy
• elementary teaching
• teacher development