Preservice teachers literacy methods consider issues of in a course diversity

I describe 3 case studies of young, middle-class European American female p reservice teachers' experiences of teaching diverse students literacy while enrolled in my field-based literacy methods course The case studies focus on the teachers' perceptions of self cultural identities and values, percep tions of diverse students and literacy teaching, and del eloping abilities to connect their understandings of diversity to teaching diverse students. During field experiences, the preservice teachers taught lessons and interv iewed and worked with case-study students. During university class sessions , they shared and reflected on their experiences and discussed their attitu des toward differences. The data revealed that the field experiences had a greater impact on 1 preservice teacher than on the other 2 in terms of enha nced capabilities for culturally responsive reaching. The preservice teache rs were generally knowledgeable of literacy strategies and children's liter ature, but there was great variability in their abilities to use skillfully and appropriately strategies and books in teaching. The findings suggest s ome directions for future research on the education of literacy teachers fo r diversity.