Moving Beyond Legislation to Create and Sustain Intentionality in Reading Instruction

Abstract

Current legislation has exerted tremendous influence on the instructional methods used by reading teachers. Historically, however, neither mandated curriculum nor forced change has proven consistently successful in helping sustain long-term change in teachers' instructional practices or student achievement gains. Using theories of motivation and behavior change, we propose the intentional teaching model to support and facilitate fundamental change in the instructional practices of reading teachers for the benefit of the populations they serve.