The Impact of Scripted Literacy Instruction on Teachers and Students

Today, effective and creative teacher designed instruction is being replaced by scripted reading programs. These programs are changing the role of the teacher in the classroom from professionals to mere transmitters of knowledge. The idea that the role of the teacher had changed became evident while conducting a study with elementary school teachers from a local school. The five participating teachers were concerned about their English learners (ELs) not meeting their academic requirements. They attributed their students' low-test scores to the fact that a large number of them were proficient decoders, but struggled with reading comprehension and content knowledge. They felt that the scripted literacy program was rushed and did not give them enough time to take a closer look at students' individual reading needs. This article begins with a brief overview of the initial study and presents some of the unexpected findings. The article also explores some of the unintended consequences of scripted reading programs as well as the claims made by some proponents. At the end, it provides some alternatives to scripted instruction. (Contains 1 figure.)

Publisher: Caddo Gap Press