Teachers as readers and writers and as teachers of reading and writing

Scholars, such, as L. Calkins,(1993), D H. Graves (1978, 1984, 1990, 1994), and R. Routman (1991, 1996) hypothesized that teachers must be confident, avid readers and writers to be effectvie reading and writing teachers . Three questions guided a case study that examined this hypothesis among 4 fourth-grade-teachers nominated as exemplary reading band writing, instructors.. How did they describe themselves as readers and writers? What factors were most influential in,their reading and writing teaching? How did they-describe any relationships, or lack thereof, between their reading and writing and their reading and writing teach, ing? Interviews served as the primary data-source. Findings indicate that although the teachers considered themselves to be competent readers and writers, their individual reading and writing experiences played- little or no role in their effective, ness in teaching reading and writing.