AUBURN UNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS
1. Course Number: CTRD 3710
Course Title: Fundamentals of Language and Literacy Instruction II
Credit Hours: 3 semester hours
Prerequisites: CTRD 3700 and admission to Teacher Education
Corequisite: None
2. Date Syllabus Prepared: August 1998
3. Texts:
Two texts are required.
Marilyn Jager Adams's (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print., A Summary by Steven A. Stahl, Jean Osborn, and Fran Lehr (Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading)
Lloyd Eldredge's (1995) Teaching decoding in holistic classrooms
(Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill).
In addition, there will be other required supplemental readings:
Ehri, L. C. (1991). Development of the ability to read words. In R. Barr, M.
L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading
research, Vol. II. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Murray, B. A., & Lesniak, T. (in press). The letterbox lesson: A
hands-on approach for teaching decoding. The Reading Teacher.
Pinnell, G. S., Fried, M. D., & Estice, R. M. (1990). Reading Recovery:
Learning how to make a difference. The Reading Teacher, 43,
282-295.
Pressley, M., Johnson, C. J., Symons, S., McGoldrick, J. A., & Kurity,
J. A. (1989). Strategies that improve children's memory and comprehension of
text. The Elementary School Journal, 90, 3-32.
Wilson, P. (1992). Among nonreaders: Voluntary reading, reading achievement,
and the development of reading habits. In C. Temple and P. Collins (Eds.), Stories
and readers: New perspectives on literature in the elementary classroom
(pp. 157-169). Norwood, MA: Christopher Gordon.
4. Course Description:
Research-based theory and teaching strategies to meet the language and
literacy needs of all children, especially those at risk of reading
difficulties. Includes laboratory teaching experience.
5. Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
A. Effectively tutor low-achieving children in the primary grades
[290-3-3-.04.2.c.2.x; 290-3-3-.05.2.a.4, 7 and b.1; 290-3-3-.06.1.a..2, 7, and
b.1].
B. Recognize the special problems of children who are marginally prepared by
home literacy experiences in learning to read [290-3-3-.04.2.b.1.iv and c.2.x;
290-3-3-.05.2.a.4, 7 and b.1; 290-3-3-.06.1.a.2, 7 and b.1].
C. Understand the nature of our written language system and the special
challenges children face at each phase of learning to read and spell
[290-3-3-.04.2.a.1.iv; 290-3-3-.05.2.a.2 and b.5; 290-3-3-.06.1.b.5].
D. Understand and assess the component abilities involved in learning an
alphabetic writing system and how teachers can scaffold the emergence of
literacy using a variety of books and multimedia materials [290-3-3.04.2.c.2.iv
and ix; 290-3-3-.05.2.a.1,4,5 and b.2 and 7; 290-3-3-.06.1.a.2,3,5 and b.2 and
8].
E. Understand how children can be taught to break the alphabetic code of
written English, to learn to spell and to identify words from their spellings,
and to achieve early reading independence [290-3-3-.04.2.a.1.iv; 290-3-3-.05.2.a.2;
290-3-3-.06.1.a 4].
F. Understand how children can be helped to gain reading fluency and develop
interest in reading that extends beyond the classroom [290-3-3-.04.2.a.1.v;
290-3-3-.05.2.b.4; 290-3-3-.06.1.b.4].
G. Plan and implement strategies to assess and support emergent, beginning
and struggling readers and writers as they grow in reading independence
including those identified in the "Beginning Reading" and
"Expanded Reading Power" sections of the Alabama Reading Initiative
publication: Knowledge and Skills Teachers Need to Deliver Effective Reading
Instruction. [290-3-3-.04.2.c.2.ix; 290-3-3-.05.2.a.11 and b.4 and 7;
290-3-3-.06.1.a.9 and b.4 and 8].
H. Scaffold children's reading comprehension with narrative and expository
texts [290-3-3.04.2.c.1.ii; 290-3-3.05.2.b.4; 290-3-3-.06.1.b.4;
290-3-3-07(1).1.2.c1.xi].
I. Demonstrate knowledge of the phonology and grapheme-phoneme
correspondences of the English spelling system [290-3-3.05.2.a.10;
290-3-3.06.1.a.8].
J. Select appropriate research-based strategies and materials to meet the
needs of struggling readers. [290-3-3.1.b.8]
6. Course Content:
Week 1 The development of alphabetic writing systems
Week 2 Practical strategies for reading assessment and intervention
Week 3 Teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners
Week 4 Development of the ability to read words
Week 5 Teaching letter recognition
Week 6 Developing awareness of phonemes
Week 7 Introducing concepts about print through shared reading and language experience
Week 8 Consolidation and midterm exam
Week 9 A model of skilled reading
Week 10 Explicit decoding instruction
Week 11 Balanced reading instruction with appropriate texts
Week 12 Fostering invented spelling and systematic spelling instruction
Week 13 Developing reading fluency
Week 14 Voluntary reading; communicating with parents and caregivers
Week 15 Scaffolding comprehension with narrative and expository texts
Week 16 Consolidation and final exam
7. Course Requirements
A. Attend all class sessions and participate in class discussions and exercises.
B. Complete a 12-session tutoring program with a primary student delayed in reading
C. Study assigned readings and show your understanding in scheduled quizzes.
D. Design and publish three model lessons for a class book on exemplary reading instruction.
E. Consolidate your knowledge for mid-term and final examinations.
Tutoring (approximately 26%). For a teaching experience, preteachers will prepare, teach, and evaluate lessons for a primary student and develop a literacy report about this student. Two tutoring sessions per week will be scheduled. Preteachers must successfully complete the tutoring to receive credit for this course. Grades will be based on a) a series of lesson reflections and plans and b) a literacy report with recommendations.
Tutoring lessons will follow a routine adapted from the Reading Recovery program based on the work of Marie Clay (Pinnell et al., 1990). As a part of this routine, preteachers will select appropriate books and teach their students to use the alphabet for decoding and spelling in ways suggested by ongoing assessment. A brief reflection on the previous week's lessons and a plan for lessons to be taught the following week will be submitted each week.
At the conclusion of the teaching program, preteachers will prepare a report for parents and teacher. The report will include observations, goals, a description of methods, analysis of current learning, and recommendations for future tutors, teachers, and parents.
Learning logs and/or quizzes (approximately 29%).
Each day a reading is due, students will have two options.
Lesson design project (approximately 14%). A central focus of this course is the application of knowledge about learning to read in planning sound classroom practice. The class will publish a book with students' best ideas for lessons in three areas:
a. Emergent literacy. This includes ideas for teaching letter recognition, phoneme awareness, or concepts about print.
b. Beginning reading. This includes ideas for teaching children to decode and spell words.
c. Growing independence and fluency. This includes ideas for teaching
children to read fast, smoothly, silently, or with expression, or to read
voluntarily and avidly.
Exams (approximately 31%). The midterm and final exams will
be based primarily on the Adams textbook material and class presentations.
Exams will feature both objective and essay items.
8. Grading and Evaluation Procedures:
Approximately 650 points may be earned by various means. Quarter grades will be calculated by determining the student's percentage of this total. (Note: Point totals for course achievements may change during the course of the quarter as assignments are added or deleted.)
Tutoring (170 points) - Six reflections and plans at 20 points each and Literacy report (50 points).
Learning logs and/or quizzes (190 points) - 9 log entries at 5 points each and 19 5-point quizzes OR 19 10-point quizzes (or any combination)
Lesson design project (90 points). 3 lessons at 30 points each.
Midterm and final exams (200 points, 100 points each).
The following grading scale will be used: 90-100%, A; 80-89%, B; 70-79%, C; 60-69%, D; and below 60%, F.
9. Class Policy Statements: