Elementary Reading Grades 1 Through 6

RED 621

Syllabus

Course Description

Recognizing that the teacher makes the difference in effective reading instruction this course is designed to enable teachers to make appropriate instructional and curriculum decisions within their classrooms while acting as advocates for developmentally sound literacy instruction within their schools, districts and regions. The course explores how children learn language and how that translates into reading achievement. Learning activities, assessment techniques and classroom management conducive to exemplary literacy programs are introduced and explored.

Objectives

State the seven characteristics of effective reading teachers
Identify the sequence of oral language development and relate how that applies to learning reading and writing
Describe effective early grade literacy components and instructional programs
Provide adequate phonic and other word attack instruction to literacy learners from grades K- 6
Identify the components necessary for exemplary literacy programs for grades 4-8
Organize literacy classrooms for optimum literacy growth and achievement

Curriculum Design

Elementary Reading Grades 1 thru 6 is a forty five-hour, 3 graduate credit course taught online. Modules 13-15 are hands on modules during which students will demonstrate their level of competency with course content by completing their preplanned final projects of designing an exemplary literacy program for a grade level of their choosing from 2nd grade to 6th grade.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

The required text for this course is: Reutzel, D. R. and Cooter, R. B. (2008) Teaching children to read: The teacher makes the difference, (5th ed.) Merrill Lynch Pub. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Course web page and Internet resources as assigned during the course.

Course Outline

Introduction: Introduction & Overview

Objective: In this beginning exercise, the instructor will confirm the accuracy of e-mail addresses for all students. The instructor will then send a welcome message to the class. The students have this first week to acquaint themselves with the format of the course, the textbook, and the methods of communication.
Contents:

Introduction to the online class environment

Meet the classmates
Meet the instructor

Become familiar with the online course content

Review the course outline
Review the course syllabus and relevant information

Become familiar with the textbook layout

Review Chapter Overviews
Review Project structures

Module One: Effective Reading Instruction: The Teacher Makes the Difference

Objective:

Define reading by current and traditional research studies and theorists
Support concept of the teacher as the active curriculum designer and instructional delivery specialist
Examine characteristics of highly effective teachers
Review the concepts of language acquisition
Identify the five "pillars" of effective reading instruction

Contents:

Defining reading and the importance of learning how to read

Communication
Active thinking and evaluating
Decoding
Source of knowledge

Defining the role of the difference making teacher

Teacher professional development
Teacher knowledge and skills essential to effective instruction
Empowered teachers better curriculum decisions

Characteristics of highly effective teachers

Understands how children learn oral language
Excellent classroom managers
Begin literacy instruction by assessing what students already know
Have knowledge of how to modify instruction to meet needs of diverse learners
Uses evidence-based instructional practices to teach literacy components
Models, encourages and arranges for reading and writing applications throughout the school day
Partner with other teachers, parents, and community members to ensure students' learning

Characteristics of effective reading instruction

Teacher knowledge
Classroom assessment
Effective Instruction
Differentiating instruction for diverse learners
Family/community connections

Module Two: Oral Language Development: Implications for Literacy Development

Objective:

Identify what teachers need to know about language
Define expressive and receptive language and language structures
Identify how children acquire language and use generative language
Enumerate the stages of language development
Examine theories of language development
Explore the research on the relationship of oral language and reading

Contents:

Knowledge about language that teachers should know

Rich extensive language knowledge is critical to development of reading and writing
Fluency in oral language is a necessary component of communication
Oral language is the foundation for all literacy achievement
Immediate and sustained oral language development is a necessary component of effective literacy programs for language restricted learners

Forms of language

Expressive
Receptive

Components of language

Phonology: sounds spoken in words
Orthography: Connecting letter symbols and their sounds
Morphology: Building blocks of meaning
Syntax and Grammar: The rules or conventions of language
Semantics: Connecting past experiences to reading
Pragmatics: Using language to get what we need
Dialect: We all got one

Oral language development: What the theorists say

Behaviorist point of view
Innatist point of view
Constructivist point of view
Social Interactionist point of view

Developmental stages of oral language development

Baby talk: Attention please
First 12 months: Time for hope
From age 1 to 2 years: Leaps and bounds
From age 2 to 3 years: No means yes?
From age 3 to 4 years: Why
From age 4 to 6: Growth and refinement

Relationship of oral language and reading

Proficiency in oral language leads to greater reading achievement
Deficiency in oral language may limit learning reading and writing
Strong vocabulary and sense of grammar leads to stronger readers
Poverty may lead to a lack of experiences and consequently less proficiency in oral language development

Assessing children's oral language development

TROLL: Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy
Get It, Got It, Go! - Picture Naming Test
OLAI: Oral Language Acquisition Inventory

Principles of effective oral language instruction

Language functions
Forms of language
Language fluency
Instructional conversations

Instructional strategies

Oral language interviews
Giving and following commands
Small group conversations
Personal oral language experiences, its all about me
Explaining and convincing
Imaginative oral language: Let's pretend
Representational language: Instructions and directions
Divertive oral language: Humor
Authoritative oral language: Now hear this
Perpetuating oral language: Remember this

Differentiating oral language instruction

Building on prior knowledge (embedding knowledge when needed)
Creating meaningful contexts
Providing wide range of experiences (even vicariously)
Provide positive and supportive environments where freedom to make mistakes is OK.

Working with families and communities

Parent and public education is a must
Increasing MLU, mean length of utterance
Dialogic reading

Module Three: Early Literacy Instruction

Objective:

Define early reading instruction essentials
Identify developmentally appropriate methods for assessing early literacy learners
Identify the characteristics of effective early reading instruction
Examine ways to adapt early reading instruction for diverse learners

Contents:

Young children becoming readers

Reading readiness
Emergent literacy
Whole language movement

Essentials for reading instruction that leads to young children becoming readers

Print concepts
Phonological and phonemic awareness
Rimes and onsets
Letter name knowledge

Assessing young children's literacy levels

Oral language development
Print concepts
Phonemic awareness
Letter name knowledge

Effective literacy instruction

Functions of print
Mapping speech to print
Examining technical aspects of print
Using environmental print
Shared reading experiences
Phonics instruction
Teaching letter names and visual recognition in varied formats

Adapting literacy instruction for diverse learners

Opportunities for oral language development
Opportunities to have experiences that build background
Pace, scope and frequency of instruction

Family and communities as literacy partners

Module Four: Phonics and other Word Identification Strategies

Objective:

Define phonics and identify the "reliable" generalizations
Identify developmentally appropriate methods for teaching phonic generalizations
Define word identification strategies and identify developmentally appropriate teaching methods
Examining evidence based assessment techniques for phonics and other word identification strategies
Identify methods for differentiating instruction for diverse learners

Contents:

Decoding words

Graphophonemic knowledge (phonics)

Alphabetic principles
Segmentation

Word identification

Word parts syllables
Affixes

Word recognition

Sight words
High frequency words

Important phonic patterns and rules

Beginning consonants
C rule
G rule
CVC patterns
CVVC Vowel digraph patterns
VCE final e rule
R controlled vowels
Other important principles to be taught
Onset and Rime

Structural Analysis

Affixes

Prefix
Suffix
Inflectional endings

Assessing decoding skills

Letter names
Word attack skills
Running records
Miscue analysis
Commercial diagnostic reading tests
IRI, Informal reading inventories
DIBELS, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills

Evidence based "best practices" in teaching phonics

Synthetic phonics instruction
Embedded phonics instruction
Analogy based phonics instruction
Phonics-through-spelling instruction
Games and manipulatives to teach phonics

Letter sound cards
Phonics fish (foniks phish)
Stomping, clapping and snapping techniques
Tongue twisters
Use of nonsense words
Interactive games and software
Internet resources

Assisting struggling phonics learners

Interactive strategies
Familiar texts
Word banks
Modeling
High frequency words
Writing exercises

Parent connection: At home activities

Words from pictures
Nursery rhymes
Rhyming picture cards
Silly words
Reading aloud to child

Module Five: Developing Reading Fluency

Objective:

Define reading fluency
Identify the relationship of fluency on reading achievement
Identify developmentally appropriate methods for assessing fluency
Identify developmentally appropriate methods for helping literacy learners develop fluency
Examine ways to modify instruction to support diverse learners as they develop fluency

Contents:

Defining reading fluency

Automaticity
Expression
Rate
Phrasing

Stages of reading fluency

Chall's stages

Stage 0
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3 - 5

Stages of reading in action

Research findings on fluency
Assessing fluency

Sight word fluency
Oral reading fluency
Expressive reading

Characteristics of effective instruction for fluency

Explicit instruction
Modeling
Reading practice
Access to appropriately challenging reading materials
Use of both oral and silent reading
Monitoring and accountability
Wide and repeated reading
Scaffolding for early reading fluency: Sight words, sight words, sight words

Implementing fluency plan

Identify standards for fluency
Select appropriately challenging reading materials
Vary literary genre
Use decodable text
Use explicit lesson plans
Part One of lesson: Word Work

Logographic reading
Phonological reading
Word wall
Teacher storytelling
Child storytelling
Scramble, sort, and find
Picture and write it
Fill in the blank
New text close read
Introduce important vocabulary
Introduce targeted fluency skill

Part Two of lesson: Guided oral reading

Teacher feedback
Leveled books
Choral reading
Neurological impress method
Technology assisted reading strategies

Part Three of lesson: Independent fluency practice

Repeated reading
Wide oral reading
Scaffold silent reading

Part Four of lesson: Performance for fluency assessment

Readers Theater
Radio reading

Part Five of lesson: Goal setting and monitoring of progress

Modifying or adapting instruction for diverse learners
Family and community partners in reading fluency

Module Six: Vocabulary Development

Objective:

Define the types of vocabulary and their relationship to reading
Identify the way vocabulary is developed
Identify effective methods for increasing word knowledge
Explore methods of assessing vocabulary knowledge
Identify research proven methods for vocabulary instruction

Contents:

Research on vocabulary learning

Language interactions
National Reading Panel findings
Types of Vocabulary
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

Research on Vocabulary instruction

Indirect vocabulary learning
Direct instruction
Which words should be taught

Sight words
Sight words for ELLs
Key vocabulary
Discovery words
Multiple meaning words
Idiomatic expressions

Effectively assessing students vocabulary knowledge

Word maps
Before and after self rating
Teacher constructed vocabulary tests
Modified cloze passages
Maze passages
Vocabulary flash cards
Published vocabulary tests

Principles of effective vocabulary instruction

Vocabulary is best learned through explicit, systematic instruction
Both definitions and context should be offered during vocabulary instruction
Instruction must include both depth of learning as well as breadth of word knowledge to be effective

Deep processing is needed
Association processing
Generation processing

Students must have multiple exposure to new reading vocabulary words

Activities for effective vocabulary learning may include

Word banks
Pre-teaching vocabulary prior to reading assignment
Word discussions
Extended instruction during and post reading
Making words
Teaching synonyms and or antonyms
Teaching euphemisms
Onomatopoeia and other creative words
Recasting sentences using the new vocabulary word
Using dictionaries, thesauruses and other reference aids
Using context clues
Wide reading
Computer assisted vocabulary learning
Vocabulary cluster strategies
Semantic maps

Parents and community partners in vocabulary development

Reading backpacks
Garage book sales
Newspaper word races
Scrabble
Crossword puzzles

Module Seven: Reading Comprehension

Objective:

Examine current research on reading comprehension
Define reading comprehension and the skills that lead to understanding what is read
Identify methods for developing comprehension
Identify methods for assessing comprehension
Examine methods for adapting instruction for diverse learners

Contents:

Reading comprehension defined

Rand Reading Study group
National Reading Panel

Developing comprehension

Schema Theory
Construction-integration theory
Surface code
Situation model

Research supported comprehension instruction

Explicit instruction
Sequence and benchmark standards for comprehension instruction
Grade level benchmarks

Appropriate assessment of reading comprehension

Eliciting and scoring narrative oral retellings
Eliciting and scoring expository retellings
Formal reading assessment

Effective comprehension instruction and strategies

Begins with decoding skills
Vocabulary development
Direct instruction in comprehension strategies

Activating prior knowledge of theme or topic (background)
KWL and KWHL
Establishing motivation to read and understand
Establish purposes for reading and understanding
Attention to text structure and graphic organizers for narrative passages
Attention to text structure and graphic organizers for expository passages
Activities that lead to understanding
Questioning at different levels of thinking
Examining Question and answer relationships
Questioning the author, doubting the authority
Elaboration and interrogation
Using fix up strategies - metacognition
Summarizing
Cooperative/interactive comprehension discussions
Text talks
Affective responses: Interpreting and elaborating meaning

Reader response
Literature circles
Book clubs
Grand conversations

Meeting the needs of diverse learners

Reciprocal teaching
QARs
Insure fluency of textual reading
Flexible cooperative groupings
Capitalize on student interest
Increase scaffolding
Use multi-cultural texts

Family and community resources

Wide reading
Easy reading materials
Planned parent programs with public education materials

Module Eight: Revisiting Comprehension

Objective:

Expand knowledge of comprehension strategies by viewing model lesson in progress
Provide time for course participants to explore new concepts introduced in Module Seven
Identify 3 reading comprehension strategies for further researching and developing for classroom use
Construct a written plan for comprehension instruction in course participants educational setting

Contents:

View the comprehension lesson on resource CD that accompanied text
Identify three teaching behaviors observed at each level of the lesson

Describe what teacher is doing and explain the learning outcomes anticipated
Observe childrens' comments and analyze in terms of their basic understanding
Contrast and compare these responses with typical responses to traditional "after reading questions" in many basal reading series

Conduct Internet and library research on 3 selected comprehension strategies

Describe findings
Identify implications for comprehension instruction

Module Nine: Writing in the Literacy Program

Objective:

Define writing and its relationship to speaking and reading
Examine how writing develops in elementary literacy learners
Identify the stages of writing development
Identify developmentally appropriate instructional practices for writing
Examine appropriate assessment of elementary learners writing
Identify writing characteristics and traits

Contents:

Reading and writing mirror images

Content knowledge
Specific knowledge of components of written language
Procedural knowledge of accessing and using information

Stages of writing development

Scribbling and drawing
Pre-phonemic
Early phonemic
Letter naming
Transitional

Benchmarks or standards for writing development by grade level

Kindergarten through 3rd grade
4th though 6th grade

Assessing writing development

Analytic scoring rubrics
Holistic scoring rubrics
Six trait model

Teaching the writing process

Prewriting
Drafting
Revising and editing
Publishing
Interactive writing procedures

Writing aloud
Shared writing
Morning message
Writing workshop

Organizing for writing instruction

Writing center
Classroom computers
Scheduling
Materials

Adapting writing instruction for diverse learners
Parent and community partners in writing instruction

Module Ten: Assessment in the Elementary Literacy Program

Objective:

Identify evidence based best practices in reading assessment
List the principles of effective literacy assessment
List and define the variety of assessment tools, strategies and instruments available for comprehensive classroom literacy assessment
Identify appropriate methods for interpreting, using and reporting collected assessment data

Contents:

Principles of effective classroom literacy assessment

Inform and improve teaching
Focuses on what students can do
Each assessment procedure has a specific purpose
Assessment is linked to accountability
Help to identify zones of proximal development
Does not take the place of instruction
Makes use of reliable and valid instruments

Purposes for classroom literacy assessment

Assess the outcomes for the whole class
Screening individual students reading development
Measure progress of and for interventions
Measure and report the achievement of "benchmarks" or standards set by state and federal regulation, as well as professional organizations

Begin at the beginning with classroom teachers who

Use screening and progress monitoring assessment most often
Engage in kid watching procedures
Determine students interest and select materials to meet those interests and need

Attitude/Interest inventories
Burke Reading Interview
Self-rating scales
Discovering level of background knowledge
Family surveys of reading habits
Checklists
Expository text frames to identify types of text that may be problematic for individual readers
Content reading inventory (CARI)
Informal reading inventory (IRI)
Curriculum based measurements

Outcome Assessment

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI)

Diagnostic Literacy Assessments

Vocabulary knowledge
Individual diagnostic reading tests
Individually administered achievement tests

Kaufman Test of Reading Achievement (K-TEA/NU)
Others as used in various states

Getting Organized: Profiling your class

Documents needed

Class profile sheet
Student profile sheet
If-then thinking report

Module Eleven: Reading Instruction Programs and Standards

Objective:

Define what is meant by standards
Identify literacy standards set by professional organizations, local, state and Federal governments
Define what is meant by "core" literacy program
Identify supplemental literacy programs

Contents:

Which reading program is best?

Chicken or the egg
No one best reading program, the First grade studies revisited

Overview of "Standards-based" movement

Content standards
Performance standards
Opportunity to learn standards

Basal readers or "core" reading programs

Anatomy of Basal reader approach

Teacher's manual
Scope and sequence chart
Student basal reader (text)
Authentic trade literature inclusion
Informational text inclusion

Beginning reading texts

Controlling word difficulty and frequency
Controlling decoding difficulty
Controlling language patterns in text
Workbooks or practice books
Assessment
Record keeping

Instructional management systems

Basal Reader production and organization

Publishers
Grade levels
Themed units
Authors and editors

Standards for evaluating and adopting basal readers

Evaluating basal reading programs
Consumer's guide for evaluating core reading programs
Recent evaluations of basal reading programs

Struggling readers and Reading programs

Four Blocks©
Early Steps©

Supplemental reading programs

Finding and using leveled books
Reading software
Internet connections
Commercially prepared reading supplemental programs/kits

Meeting needs of diverse language users

Supplement with Language experience approach
Supplement with culturally diverse books, stories and experiences
Use lower readability level text in content areas
Use environmental print supplements such as magazines, Internet etc.

Module Twelve: Classroom Organization for Effective Reading Instruction in Primary Grades

Objective:

Defining evidence based appropriate instruction for primary grade literacy learners
Identifying the relationship between instruction and achievement
Defining the characteristics of effective K-3 literacy instruction

Contents:

K-3 readers and writers developmental patterns
Characteristics of exemplary primary grade teachers
Characteristics of Effective K-3 reading instruction

Preparing classroom environment
Floor plans
Whole class instructional area
Small group instructional area and centers

Essential centers:

Word work
Listening comprehension
Fluency
Vocabulary

Suggested centers

Play centers with literacy rich environments
Content
Technology

Organizing literacy tools and materials

Appropriateness
Authenticity
Utility
Proximity
Use and change

Classroom areas

Display areas
Storage areas
Library area

Grouping for effective instruction

Whole class
Flexible groups (temporary needs)
Literary/Book groups
No permanent groups no labels

First Day/Week of School, first impressions do matter

Establish routine for each part of school day, train students in routines
Classroom rules and logical consequences of not following these
Get attention then give directions
Real reading and writing activities from the first day on
Assess where students levels of competency, plan accordingly
Train students to use centers, schedule center time
Minimize transition times
Maximize Reading and writing time (instructional and engaged time)

Planning the year long literacy curriculum

Lesson plans are not just for beginning teachers
Effective use of a variety of teaching practices and materials
Plan for diverse learners
Reevaluate plans periodically and change when and where necessary

Module Thirteen: Classroom Organization for Effective Literacy Instruction Grades 4-8

Objective:

Identify the special challenges of reading content reading and learning
Exploring concept density and readability levels of grade level content texts
Define the importance of vocabulary and background knowledge in understanding content reading texts
Identify effective management and organization strategies to help learners recognize and make the necessary transition from narrative to expository print

Contents:

Challenge of textbook genre

Differences in expository vs. narrative reading
Specialized vocabulary
Need for hands on learning experiences
Concept load/density
Readability levels
Unique writing patterns/text structures

Generalization
Enumeration
Sequence
Classification
Comparison/Contrast
Cause and Effect

Evidence based reading strategies

Graphic organizers
Metacognition
Questioning strategies
Guided repeated reading
Direct explicit instruction
Repeated vocabulary exposures

Assessing critical knowledge and vocabulary

Analyzing facts
Exploring generalizations
Building concepts

Instructional materials and strategies used in content instruction

Trade books as supplemental texts
Graphic organizers
Non print resources, video, games and Internet
Study Guides for reading texts
Three level guides
Themed units
Scaffolding content learning
Integrated curriculum
Mini-lessons
Small group work
Environmental print, newspapers, magazines etc.

Literature, Themed units and other developmental reading instruction

Trade books
Self-selection of books
Book talks
Literature response activities
Student conducted dramas of story lines
Radio or Television plays
Formula retellings
Movie, film and video making
Comic strip retellings
PowerPoint presentations

Study Strategies that Help Improve content comprehension

Skimming and scanning
Previewing
Adjusting reading rate to content difficulty
SQ3R/PQRST
Text structure

Final Module: Catch up and Review

Objective:

To provide time for students to gather information on all topics
Give students time to complete course requirements
Complete final evaluations of course

Course Requirements:

Requirements	Points
Forum Discussions	50
Weekly Assignments	130
Position Paper	10
Content Paper	10
Total	200

Grades
200-186 - A
185-170 - B
169-154 - C

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Adams, M. (1990) Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print-a summary. Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading.

Barone, D. M. (2006) Narrowing the gap: What works in high-poverty schools. New York: New Guilford Press.

Fry, E. B., Kress, J. & Fountoukidis, D. L. (1993) The reading teacher's book of lists (3rd ed.) Paramis, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Jancola, L. (1999) Six trait writing, http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/LindaJancola/6Trait/6-trait.html Retrieved August 12, 2007.

Kroth, R. L. & Edge, D. (2007) Communicating with parents and families of exceptional children, (4th ed.). Denver: Love Publications.

Simmons, D. C. & Kane'enui, E. J. (2003) Consumer's guide to evaluating a core reading program, Grades K-3: A critical elements analysis. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon.

Trelease, J. (2001) The read-aloud handbook (5th ed.). New York: Penquin.

Vaughn, S. & Linan-Thompson, S. (2004) Research-based methods of reading instruction, grades K-3. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.