Cognitive apprenticeships have three essential characteristics: (1) they make use of the learner's prior knowledge; (2) they allow that learned procedures for solving problems may be modified in new situations; and (3) they acknowledge that individuals generate their own solution paths, often through a collaborative process. Preservice elementary teachers in an introductory elementary reading methods course were studied to investigate the influence of a "real school" practicum experience on their theoretical orientations and content knowledge. One group of preservice teachers (N=24) completed a 6-week elementary school practicum during the first half of the semester, then took an elementary reading methods course. A second group (N=24) completed the elementary reading methods course first, with the 6-week practicum second. Data relative to theoretical orientations were collected with the DeFord Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile, and data relative to content knowledge were collected with the Rude Knowledge Test of Reading for Elementary School Teachers. Results indicate that the practicum experience did not appreciably influence the student teachers' theoretical orientations to teaching reading. The paper concludes by offering three recommendations for the next phase of the study: (1) include more indepth inquiry into the nature of the practicum; (2) conduct more complete analysis of theoretical orientation and content measures for both groups; and (3) examine the degree to which each teacher's theoretical orientation agrees with that of the supervising teacher. (SM)