A modified content analysis of selected secondary reading methods textbooks: 1970–2008

The purpose of this study was to examine how secondary teachers have been taught to teach reading-to-learn over the last four decades, and to teach the struggling and reluctant readers in their classes. In this study, twelve secondary reading methods textbooks were analyzed. The textbooks were chosen based on four criteria: (a) availability, (b) reading specialists identified these texts as well-known and of high quality, (c) local college faculty who teach secondary reading methods courses recommended the texts, and (d) Dr. Thomas Bean, historian for the International Reading Association (IRA) suggested, via e-mail, that these texts were widely used, highly regarded in the field, and worthy of analysis. The review of literature provided an in-depth, historical review of content area reading, from which four research questions and ten emerging questions resulted. The findings highlight the plethora of instructional strategies/techniques in existence, today and concludes that the number and variety have significantly increased since the 1970s, providing and enabled preservice and inservice teachers help with reading-to-learn from text materials. However, there remains little assistance for the subject matter teachers who wish to help the struggling and reluctant readers in the classrooms. It is recommended that further research be conducted on inservice teachers regarding the number of teachers who have taken a reading class(es) in their teacher education programs, what instructional strategies they are aware of, and which ones they use. Answers to these questions will greatly add to the general body of literature in response to the claim that secondary classroom teachers are not adequately prepared to teach reading