AUBURN UNIVERSITY

COURSE SYLLABUS

1. Course Number: CTRD 7400

Course Title: Assessment and Instruction for Reading Intervention

Credit Hours: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: None

Corequisite: None

2. Date Syllabus Prepared: September 1998

3. Text. Two textbooks are required.

McCormick, Sandra (1995). Instructing students who have literacy problems (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill. McCormick provides a contemporary view of the etiology of reading difficulties grounded in research and brings practical ideas for clinical instruction.

Leslie, Lauren, & JoAnne Caldwell (1995). Qualitative Reading Inventory-II. New York: Harper Collins. Leslie and Caldwell have put together an excellent individual reading inventory, a basic tool for assessment in this course.

In addition, students will select one of two 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.

Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21, 360-406.

4. Course Description.

Research-based analysis of causal factors in reading difficulties, of assessment strategies, and of effective teaching with delayed readers. Includes practicum.

5. Course Objectives.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the role of scientific research in determining teaching practice; understand the work of particular researchers and landmark studies in establishing research-based principles and practices for assessment and intervention. (2)(a)(1)(i-ii); (2)(a)(2-3)
2. Provide a research-based view of the causes of reading difficulties, including deficits in phonological processing, limited understanding of the alphabetic principle, lack of letter recognition, insufficient prior knowledge, and limited English proficiency; rule out explanations that are only correlational or epiphenomenal (e.g., perceptual failure in letter reversals, poverty, race, and dialect); understand the phonology and grapheme-phoneme correspondences of English. (2)(b)(3-4); (2)(b)(6)
3. Identify key developmental factors in beginning reading, including phoneme awareness, letter recognition, decoding skill, and reading fluency; identify research based instructional practices in developmental reading, including procedures for teaching phoneme awareness, systematic and explicit phonics instruction with decodable texts, wide practice in reading for meaning, daily writing with temporary spelling, meaning vocabulary, and comprehension. (2)(a)(1)(ii); (2)(b)(1); (2)(b)(2)(v-ix); (2)(d)(1-3); (2)(e)(4-5); (2)(f)(1).
4. Plan a sequence of assessment procedures to efficiently locate the locus of reading difficulties for a delayed reader. (2)(h)

1. Administer an informal reading inventory to identify a student's independent, instructional, and frustration levels for oral and silent reading and for listening comprehension. (2)(h)

1. Design and carry out an effective intervention program for delayed readers that directly addresses their literacy needs with accelerated, highly specialized instruction designed to increase the pace of learning and motivate learning through steady success, featuring explicit instruction in phoneme awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension; understand and use appropriate reading practice material (predictable, decodable, and easy-to-read books) at appropriate reading levels, screening for readability factors; planning for independent reading practice with self-selected materials; a progression of phonics instruction that guides the use of decodable texts. (2)(c)(2-3); (2)(d)(3); (2)(g)(1-5)

6. Course Content:

Week 1 Models of reading

Week 2-3 Assessment

Week 4 The informal reading inventory

Week 5-6 Causes and correlates of reading difficulties

Week 7-8 Identifying reading problems

Week 9-10 Word recognition

Week 11 Word identification

Week 12 Vocabulary development

Week 13 Comprehension of narrative text

Week 14 Comprehension of expository text

Week 15 A classic research synthesis

Week 16 Consolidation and final exam

7. Course Requirements.

Students will . . .

Attend all class sessions and participate in class discussions and exercises.

Complete a 12-session tutoring program with a student delayed in reading. During the tutoring program, participation in tutoring will substitute for one class meeting per week.

Reflect weekly on previous teaching, and plan detailed lessons that review previous learning, explain and model strategies, anticipate possible misunderstandings, guide simplified practice and extend learning to reading and composing text, and assess learning.

Compose a clinical report with instructional recommendations.

Study assigned readings and show their understanding in scheduled quizzes.

Extend understanding of concepts through independent readings and seminar presentations.

Consolidate their knowledge for a final examination.

Diagnostic Teaching and Report.

To apply the information learned in this class, students will prepare and evaluate assessments and lessons. Twelve diagnostic teaching sessions will be scheduled. Students must successfully complete the diagnostic teaching to receive credit for this course. Written lesson reflections and teaching plans will be submitted weekly. A detailed rubric will guide the reflection and planning.

At the conclusion of the tutoring project, students will prepare a diagnostic report. The student will record observations of the child's behavior, explain what was taught, report on the child's current reading abilities and needs, and make recommendations to teachers and parents.

Seminar presentations.

For four topics, students will be expected to explore beyond the textbook in pursuit of a "closer look." Students will follow up a reference in the McCormick text (or another approved source), prepare a one-page handout for the instructor and class, and present findings in class.

Exams and quizzes.

Objective quizzes will check comprehension of each reading assignment. Students may use written notes for assistance on these quizzes. The final exam will be an essay to be composed outside of class.

8. Grading and Evaluation Procedures.

Approximately 460 points may be earned by various means. Semester 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.)

Achievement Totals

Diagnostic Teaching and Report (about 48%) 6 reflections/plans @ 20 = 120

6 reflections and plans at 20 pts. each = 120 pts.. Diagnostic report @ 100 = 100

Diagnostic report = 100 pts. 4 Closer Looks @ 15 = 60

Seminar presentations (about 13%) 8 quizzes @ 10 = 80

4 Closer Look presentations at 15 pts.. each = 60 pts.. 1 final @ 100 = 100

Exams and quizzes (about 39%) 460

8 quizzes @ 10 pts.. each = 80 pts..

Final exam, take home = 100 pts..

This 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:

Attendance: Class attendance and engaged participation are essential to achieving the goals of this course. Excused absences are defined in the Auburn University Tiger Cub. In addition to meeting these criteria, to be excused students must notify the instructor of the reason for the absence that day.

Quizzes missed because of unexcused absences may not be made up. Makeup quizzes will be given only for University-approved excuses as outlined in the Tiger Cub. Arrangements to take the makeup quizzes or exams must be made in advance. Late assignments will lose 10% credit per weekday late (including weekdays when we do not meet as a class), to a maximum of 30% lost credit.

Absence from tutoring responsibilities except in the direst eventualities is unacceptable. In an emergency, the student must either secure a substitute tutor and provide a detailed lesson plan for the substitute or arrange an alternate time for the lesson.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students who need special accommodations should make an appointment to discuss the Accommodation Memo with the instructor during office hours as soon as possible. An Accommodation Memo must be arranged with Dr. Kelly Haynes, Director, Program for Students with Disabilities, in 1244 Haley Center, telephone 334/844-5943.

Academic Honesty: All portions of the Auburn University Honesty Code found in the Tiger Cub (Title 1208) will apply in this class.

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Justification for CTRD 7400

CTRD 7400 provides graduate students with a guided study of the research into the causes of reading difficulties and of research-based strategies for remediation. The course enhances graduate students' proficiency with literacy assessment using a variety of formal and informal measures. Students develop specific expertise in administering and interpreting the informal reading inventory, a basic tool of clinical reading specialists. They learn to compose a professional quality clinical report to summarize their findings.