AUBURN UNIVERSITY

COURSE SYLLABUS

1. Course Number: CTRD 7520

Course Title: Curriculum and Teaching in Reading Education

Credit Hours: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: None

Corequisite: None

2. Date Syllabus Prepared: July 1998

3. Text :

Weaver, C. (1994). Reading process and practice: From socio-psycholinguistics to whole language (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

  1. Course Description:



Teaching practices and reappraisal of selecting experiences and content for curriculum improvement.

5. Course Objectives:

As a result of their work in this course, students will be able to identify and describe..

  1. Effective reading instruction and practices for beginning readers that demonstrably improve reading achievement, have been established as effective by reading research, and are identified in the "Beginning Reading" section of the Alabama Reading Initiative publication: Knowledge and Skills Teachers Need to Deliver Effective Reading Instruction. (2)(a)(1)(ii); (2)(b)(1)
  2. Early reading instruction and practices that nurture oral language development, promote development of print concepts, foster a love of reading, emphasize reading for meaning, and increase listening comprehension. (2)(b)(2)(i); (2)(b)(2)(ii); (2)(b)(2)(iii); (2)(b)(2)(viii); (2)(b)(2)(x)
  3. Effective reading instruction and practices for developing readers that demonstrably improve reading achievement, have been established as effective by reading research, and are identified in the "Expanding Reading Power" section of the Alabama Reading Initiative publication: Knowledge and Skills Teachers Need to Deliver Effective Reading Instruction. (2)(a)(1)(ii); (2)(b)(5)
  4. Effective reading comprehension instruction and practices that reflect knowledge of the relationship between amount of reading and reading comprehension; include teacher-directed and integrated strategy instruction resulting in increased comprehension and independence in reading; and promote literal, interpretive, and evaluative responses. Strategies that increase reading comprehension including, but not limited to, summarizing, retelling, rereading, outlining, note-taking, visualizing, clarifying, and predicting. (2)(e)(1); (2)(e)(2); (2)(e)(3); (2)(e)(5)
  5. Contributions of past and present reading researchers to the knowledge base of reading education and how to differentiate standards for qualitative and quantitative research. (2)(a)(2); (2)(a)(4)



6. Course Content:

Weeks 1-2 Theories of Learning and Learning to Read

Weeks 3-5 Theoretical Models of the Reading Process

Weeks 6-8 Implications for Beginning Reading, MIDTERM

Weeks 9-11 Implications for Expanding Reading Power

Weeks 12-14 Implications for Intervention with Struggling Readers

Week 15 Project Presentations

Week 16 FINAL EXAM

7. Course Requirements:

A. Participate in class by attending all class sessions, contributing to all class discussions, and preparing by reading all assignments.

B. Complete weekly written assignments that reflect careful and thoughtful reading of assignments. (Guidelines will be provided in class.)

C. Complete a teacher-as-researcher project. (Guidelines will be provided in class.)

D. Complete a midterm exam.

E. Complete a final exam.

Class Participation:

You will be expected to attend class and participate in all class discussions. A class participation grade will be assigned based on the extent to which it is clear that you (1) have read the assigned readings carefully and thoughtfully as demonstrated in class discussions and (2) can integrate materials across sources.

Weekly Written Assignments:

You will be expected to complete all assigned readings prior to class and react in writing using guidelines and grading criteria provided in class.

Teacher-as-Researcher Project:

You will be expected to select one instructional technique to explore with children or to utilize as a self-learning strategy. You will identify and study related literature, keep a journal of your observations, and prepare a short presentation with a hand-out that summarizes your insights. Further guidelines and grading criteria will be provided in class.

Midterm and Final Exam:

Both the mid-term and final will be comprehensive take-home essay exams. You will be expected to demonstrate that you have read the material carefully and insightfully, that you can synthesize information from many sources, and that you can write clearly and concisely.

8. Grading and Evaluation Procedures:

The final grade for the course will be based on the following:

Class participation 20%

Weekly written assignments 20%

Teacher-as-researcher project 20%

Midterm exam 20%

Final exam 20%

Total 100%

Any assignment or exam turned in late will result in a 5% grade deduction per calendar day.

The following grading scale will be used:

90-100% A

80-89.99% B

70-79.99% C

60-69.99% D

Below 60% F





9. Class Policy Statements:

A. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and lab sessions, and they are expected to participate in all classroom discussions and exercises (Tiger Cub, p. 73). Students are expected to contact the course instructor before missing a class meeting if possible.

B. Students are responsible for initiating arrangements for missed work due to excused absences (Tiger Cub, p. 74).

C. Students who need special accommodations should make an appointment to discuss the Accommodation Memo during office hours as soon as possible. If you do not have an Accommodation Memo, contact Dr. Kelly Haynes, Director, Program for Students with Disabilities, in 1244 Haley Center as soon as possible. Telephone: 3340844-5943 (Voice T/O)

D. 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 offering CTRD 7520 as a graduate course:

CTRD 7520 focuses on helping graduate students develop in-depth understandings of the relationships among theories of learning, theories of learning to read, and theoretical models of the reading process. The course also helps students develop more refined insights into issues regarding curriculum and instruction based on these theoretical understandings. In addition, the course promotes students' abilities to engage in thoughtful and probing inquiry regarding issues of curriculum and instruction.