Explicit linguistic knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, for the provision of explicit early literacy instruction.

Teacher's knowledge can influence the act of teaching and affect children's learning outcomes. Linguistic and language knowledge of teachers plays an important role in supporting learners at the beginning to read stage. This study examines the language and linguistic knowledge of teachers of beginning readers in New Zealand, how these teachers perceive their own practices in teaching reading, and the relationship with the nature of observed instructional practices.