The significance of professional development is especially emphasized in the modern reform movement; it was proved that this method positively impacts literacy instruction improvement. The process of reading improvement is rather sophisticated and intricate, requiring attention, observation, and careful learning. Reading scores improvement through professional development covers a number of methodological activities and systematic study of instructions; the method involves the participation of the qualified staff to raise the level of reading instructions.
The program aimed at the increase of reading scores level should contain the following methods:
- The disclosure of instructional strategies and their theoretical knowledge;
- Constant practice of the learned strategies;
- Development methods aimed at the reading skills improvement;
- Literacy-oriented activities.
The introduction and development of the mentioned issues in the program of reading skills improvement will bring effectiveness in the plan realization. The principal goals of the reading scores improvement program are considered to be worked out in accordance with the state requirements:
- To improve the induction and preparation level;
- To provide sufficient support for novice representatives involved in the program;
- The development of coaching and mentoring process;
- To provide involvement and support for community members as partners and administrators as instructors. (Improving Reading Achievement through Professional Development, 2003)
The plan of professional development identifies basic activities, measures of success, and principle objectives. The data analysis of the program fulfillment will allow evaluating the gradual increase of reading scores.
Professional development is focused on the following aspects: vocabulary reading, increasing reading fluency, unfamiliar words decoding, comprehension strategies reading. The involvement of the presentations in the plan will influence the effectiveness of reading instructions understanding. The problems and difficulties in reaching the necessary level of reading scores lie in misinterpretations of the principle pedagogic practices; the improvement process depends upon tacit and explicit assumptions. To raise the effectiveness of reading scores growth, the methods of professional development are to be included in the learning processes; the program should be developed in a way to encourage the reflection of teaching practices. (Wagaman, 2008)
Professional development is also focused on the lecture methods of reading improvement; this allows promoting the adaptive means of teaching and perceiving the necessary reading instructions and concentrating on the collaboration, which is based on the following principles:
- The emphasis of the reflective thought;
- Egalitarianism spirit in the teaching process;
- The disclosure of basic difficulties in the reading process.
The observation of the principle issues being part of the professional developmental process will result in the improvement of reading scores.
So, the improvement of reading through professional development means the realization and strict observation of the principal methods of the teaching program and requirements of the practices.
References
Improving Reading Achievement through Professional Development. 2003. The LSS Review. Vol. 2.
Wagaman, Jennifer. 2008. How to Improve Reading Skills: Teaching Fluency and Comprehension Skills to Enhance Reading.
Texas Reading First Initiative. Institute for Public School Initiatives. 2008. Web.