Learning from Teaching in Literacy Education: New Perspectives on Professional Development

Nearly every public school teacher in the United States takes part in some form of professional development, according to the U.S. Department of Education's statistics. Yet very little is known about if and how these sessions bring about real change to instruction. In this book, Emily Rodgers and Gay Su Pinnell provide insights into the complexity of providing effective professional development for literacy educators and the challenges of bringing about fundamental change to literacy instruction.

In each chapter, educators―including Billie J. Askew, Yvonne Rodriquez, and Carol Lyons―share their research-based findings about the structure of an effective professional development program for literacy teachers. Some chapters connect professional development initiatives to student outcomes. Others focus on changes in teachers' instructional practices and growing understandings about literacy development. All chapters clearly report the practical implications of professional development that are relevant to anyone interested in literacy education.

The research and experience represented in these chapters encompass many varied models and settings. What binds them together is a common theme: true expertise means developing internal systems for learning while teaching and teaching while learning. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a school administrator, a staff developer, a college professor, or a teacher in training, there is much to be learned from Learning from Teaching.

Emily M. Rodgers is an assistant professor in the College of Education at The Ohio State University. Before joining OSU, Emily was a teacher for ten years in Newfoundland. Her research focuses on the professional development of teachers and the nature of effective scaffolding of literacy learning. Her paper "Language Matters: When is a Scaffold Really a Scaffold" won the National Reading Conference's Outstanding Student Research Award in 1999.

Gay Su Pinnell is Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. She has extensive experience in classroom teaching, field-based research, and in developing comprehensive literacy systems. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association’s Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Association’s Medalist Award, the International Reading Association’s Albert J. Harris Award for research in reading difficulties, the Ohio Governor’s Award, the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award, The Eastern New Mexico University Hall of Honor, and a 2018 recipient of an honorary doctorate Lesley University for her contributions to literacy education.

Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK–6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™), an intervention system for grades K–12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K–8 and Sistema de evaluación de la lectura for grades K–3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as:

• The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020)
• The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K–6 (2017, 2019, 2020)
• Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019)
• Reader's Notebooks
• Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019)
• The Literacy Quick Guide (2018)
• Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK–2 (2018)
• The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017)
• Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK–8 (2020)
• Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en español, Grados PreK–8 (2020)
• The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017)
• Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017)
• Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections
• LLI Choice Libraries
• Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps
• Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012)
• Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012)
• Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012)
• Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012)
• Literacy Beginnings (2011)
• Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008)
• Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011)
• When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009)
• Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K–8 (2006)
• www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com
• Leveled Books, K–8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005)
• Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996)
• Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001)
• Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K–2 (2000)
• Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998)
• Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997)

While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community.

Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Community to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Learning Facebook Group.