My PhD project aims to explore the knowledge and skills that teachers need to conduct effective reading and writing instruction in first grade, which also involves identifying early signs of reading and writing difficulties. Teachers’ skills in phonology and knowledge of the relationship between a language’s phonology and orthography are essential for high-quality reading and writing instruction. The aim is a balanced approach to reading and writing instruction that integrates explicit teaching of the alphabetic principle, letter-sound associations, and decoding with meaningful reading and writing activities. To achieve this, teachers need a comprehensive understanding of reading and writing development, as well as knowledge of basic language constructs (BLC), to deliver effective literacy instruction.

The purpose of the project is to gain insight into the existing and needed skills of teachers, and to contribute to a content in teacher education that prepares the students to provide the first reading and writing instruction. To try to find some answers to the situation and causes in the Norwegian school, I will use two methods: survey and observation of teacher conversations.

Article 1 (in progress)

The first article examines the knowledge and skills related to BLC among Norwegian pre-service teachers, focusing on their understanding of phonological structures, phonological awareness, and their ability to apply this knowledge to student work. The article also covers the significance of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in early literacy instruction, which enables teachers to make informed decisions and provide appropriate feedback to students. Additionally, it explores the relationship between teachers' content knowledge and their ability to apply it in practical teaching scenarios, using a survey with authentic student work for evaluation. The research questions focus on identifying areas of phonological awareness that are mastered or challenging for pre-service teachers, the impact of credits in Norwegian and special education on their knowledge, and whether their knowledge predicts their ability to comment on student productions.