LR gets A+ for teacher preparation in reading instruction

The undergraduate teacher preparation program at Lenoir-Rhyne University has been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) as among the best in the nation in preparing future elementary teachers to teach children to read, earning an A+ rating in NCTQ’s new report, Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction.

The elementary education program is among just 48 nationwide and five in North Carolina highlighted by NCTQ for going above and beyond the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction — often called the “science of reading.”

“Literacy may be the most important civil rights issue of our time,” said Hank Weddington, Ed.D., professor and dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “As the basis of all academics, strong reading skills create real opportunities for people to be successful in their lives, regardless of social or economic background.”

Current national data shows that more than one-third of fourth-grade students — over 1.3 million children — cannot read at a basic level. However, additional studies indicate literacy rates in this age range could reach 90 percent or higher if all students had access to scientifically based reading instruction in the early elementary grades.

“We offer teacher candidates a strong scaffold — building from observations, to tutoring, to student teaching. They receive feedback immediately, which builds a sense of trust, so when our graduates enter the classroom, they have great confidence because they truly understand the science of reading. That is the foundation of everything else they do, and it enables success for our graduates and their students,” said Monica Campbell, Ph.D., professor and chair of the School of Education.

Undergraduate students are immersed in the science of reading through the literacy lab at Southwest Primary School — a collaboration between the university and Hickory City Schools made possible with funding from Jearld Leonhardt ’69, retired co-founder, executive vice president and chief financial officer of CommScope, and his wife Carolyn Scronce Leonhardt ’69, a retired teacher.

“We are housed there, so our teacher candidates tutor on a regular schedule each week, working with students who need reading support,” said Campbell. "As the instructor, this unique setup allows me to provide real-time coaching and feedback to the teacher candidates, which results in improved outcomes for the LR students and the Southwest Primary students.”

For their 2023 study, a team of experts at NCTQ analyzed syllabi, background reading materials, class assessments, assignments, and opportunities to practice instruction in required literacy courses for undergraduate elementary teacher candidates at 693 graduate and undergraduate programs across the U.S., including 24 in North Carolina.

To earn an A+ distinction, programs needed to comfortably exceed NCTQ’s targets for coverage of the five core components of scientifically based reading instruction — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension — while avoiding instructional practices unsupported by research. Overall, just 23 percent of the programs earned an A or A+ grade (112 programs earned an A and 48 earned an A+).

“The Lenoir-Rhyne University program serves as a proof point,” said Heather Peske, Ph.D., NCTQ president. “Other teacher preparation leaders and faculty across the country must take note. There are programs that are doing this right, ensuring that their elementary teacher candidates get the preparation in how to teach reading that they both want and deserve.”

See the NCTQ report for more information about Lenoir-Rhyne University’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how Lenoir-Rhyne University compares to other programs in North Carolina or across the country.