KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
KUTZTOWN, PA
DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION: Grades 4-8 program
ELU 331: TEACHING LITERACY FOR MIDDLE LEVEL LEARNERS
I.
Course Description:
A.
This course examines literacy development in grades 4-8. Teacher candidates will
learn strategies for developing students’ proficiencies in word recognition, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension as they read across content areas. The course also
requires candidates to apply their knowledge of the reading process, based on theories of
learning, as they explore and evaluate various reading programs, instructional
approaches, and materials for middle level learners.
3 S.H., 3 C.H. Prerequisites: ELU 221, EDU 326
II.
Course Rationale:
Teachers in grades 4-8 need to be able to teach children at various stages of reading
development. They need to understand the beginning reading processes as well as the
strategies and skills needed to expand reading abilities across content areas. As reading
comprehension is crucial at this stage, teachers need a solid understanding of the reading
process and effective instructional strategies for building reading comprehension.
Teachers also need to be familiar with materials, including technology, that best meet the
varied needs of middle level learners.
III.
Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes:
A.
Relationship to Standards: Candidates will be able to:
Course Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes
ACEI
PDE
INTASC
A. Describe language and reading development in
terms of learning theory and current literacy research.
I.A.
1.0
#1,2
B. Explain how components of reading (phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and language
skills) contribute to and pose challenges to students’
reading growth in grades 4-8.
I.C., II. D. ,
II.F.
2.1
#1,3
C. Demonstrate knowledge of decoding and automatic
word recognition strategies, appropriate to students in
grades 4-8.
D. Demonstrate strategies for building fluency in
materials read by middle level students.
E. Identify and implement appropriate instructional
strategies for vocabulary development in grades 4-8.
II. B., II. D.
2.1
#1,4
II.C., II. B.,
II.D
II. C, II. B,
II.D
2.1, 3.1
#1,4
2.1, 3.1
#1,4
F. Relate vocabulary development to text
comprehension.
I.C.
1.0
#1
ISTE
(2008)
3.D
2.A
G. Articulate and model explicit instruction of
comprehension strategies.
H. Demonstrate knowledge of comprehension skills
important to understanding materials in grades 4-8.
I.C., II. B
1.0, 2.1, 3.1
#1,4, 7
I.C, II.B,
II.D
1.0, 2.1, 3.1
#1, 4, 7
I. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to develop reading
comprehension across content areas.
J. Demonstrate an ability to use, review and evaluate
literacy programs/approaches
K. Explain guidelines and materials necessary to
motivate middle level learners to read
II. D
2.1
#1,4
I.A.4, I.B,
II.D, II.E
II.A, II.B,
II.C, II.D,
II.F
3.1
#1,7,9
3.D
3.1, 3.4
#3,5,10
4.B
B.
Relationship to Conceptual Framework: this course is congruent with the Conceptual
Framework of the College of Education Teacher as Lifelong Learner, and relates specifically to:
Knowledge:
Communication
Professional
Methodology
Skills:
Critical Thinking
Integration of Discipline
Dispositions:
Cultural Awareness
Integration of technology
Reflection
IV.
Conceptual Framework elements
Communication is evidenced through written assignments and through teacher
candidates’ oral presentations and discussions.
Professional Methodology is modeled through demonstrations, DVDs, websites, and
with the use of guided exploration of instructional materials.
Critical thinking is applied in the written assignments, including responding to case
studies and reading lessons, and in class discussions.
Integration of Discipline is included through the infusion of literacy lessons across
content areas.
Cultural awareness is included as part of the course because English Language
Learner strategies are embedded in class discussions. Also children’s literature,
depicting various cultures is utilized.
Integration of Technology is included throughout the course, with attention to
websites as tools for additional information and suggestions for teaching Also, the
use of the smart classrooms and white boards as instructional tools are demonstrated
by the instructor.
Reflection is used throughout the course by guiding the candidates as they reflect on
their responses to case studies, DVD’s of lessons in 4-8 classrooms, and the activities
they design.
Assessment
A.
Core Assessment :
The core assessment for this new course will be designed at a later date.
B.
Other Assessments based on a subset of the following:
1.
Objective and essay tests and quizzes
2.
Demonstration lessons
3.
Class participation
4.
Class presentations of reading comprehension activities
5.
Creation of reading text sets
6.
Review of journal articles
7.
Explicit teaching of comprehension strategy lesson
2
V.
Course Outline:
A.
Understanding literacy development
1.
Theories underlying reading process
a.
Behaviorism
b.
Constructivism
c.
Sociolinguistics
d.
Psycholinguistics
e.
Critical literacy
f.
Reader Response
2.
Aspects of the reading process
a.
Sensory
i.
Visual discrimination of letters/words
ii.
Auditory discrimination of speech sounds
b.
Perception
i.
Visual perception
ii.
Auditory perception
3.
Belief systems about the teaching of reading
a.
Top down
b.
Bottom up
c.
Interactive
4. Balanced literacy framework
B.
Research based literacy instruction
1.
National Reading Panel (NRP) report
2.
Studies on motivation and adolescent reading development
3.
Studies related to technology and middle level readers
4.
Studies related to effective teachers of reading
C.
Phonics instruction/word recognition
1.
Phonological, syntactical and semantics cueing systems
2.
Syllabication
3.
Structural analysis
4.
Dictionary use
5.
Sight words and automatic word recognition
D.
Fluency development
1.
Role of fluency in reading comprehension
2.
Strategies for developing fluency
a.
Taped readings
b.
Readers Theater
c.
Choral Readings
E.
Vocabulary Instruction
1.
Importance for reading comprehension
3
2.
3.
4.
5.
F.
Types of vocabulary
a.
General
b.
Content specific
Incidental learning
a.
Creating opportunities for oral/written vocabulary growth
b.
Teaching use of context clues
Explicit instruction
a.
Characteristics of effective instruction
b.
Guidelines for choosing words to study
c.
Word study
i.
Antonyms and synonyms
ii.
Homophones, homographs
iii.
Analogies
iv.
Etymology
v.
Figurative language
vi.
Idioms
vii.
Morphemic analysis
Tools for word study
a.
Word sorts, word maps, word chains
b.
Extended context activities (Robust Vocabulary Instruction model)
c.
Dictionaries
d.
Glossaries
e.
Thesaurus
Comprehension instruction
1.
Defining comprehension
a.
Reader Factors
i.
Proficiency in oral language
ii.
Skills in phonics, fluency, word meanings
iii.
Schema
iv.
Metacognitive skills
v.
Motivation
b.
Text Factors
i.
Text structure
ii.
Readability level
iii.
Considerate/inconsiderate text
c.
Context (Situational) Factors
i.
Purpose for reading
ii.
Teacher/student interaction
iii.
Influence of others
2.
Explicit instruction of comprehension strategies (grades 4-8)
a.
Questioning
b.
Summarizing
c.
Visualizing
d.
Inferring
4
3.
4.
5.
G.
e.
Synthesizing
f.
Evaluating/critical literacy
g.
Self-monitoring
Teaching comprehension skills (grades 4-8)
a.
Apply strategies to interpret and analyze author’s purpose
b.
Distinguish fact from opinion across texts
c.
Evaluate text organization/content for author’s purpose, point of
view, and effectiveness
d.
Identify literary elements within and among texts, using
characterization, setting, plot, theme, point of view, tone and style
e.
Analyze literary devices in stories (personification, simile,
alliteration, symbolism, metaphor, hyperbole, imagery)
f.
Distinguish essential from nonessential information, identifying
bias and propaganda
g.
Draw conclusions, citing evidence from multiple sources
Instructional procedures to facilitate comprehension across content areas
a.
Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)
b.
Question Answer Relationships (QAR)
c.
Reciprocal teaching
d.
Literature circles
Instructional materials to facilitate comprehension
a.
Narrative text charts/literary elements guides
b.
Anticipation guides
c.
Semantic feature analysis charts
d.
K-W-L charts
e.
Expository text organizers
Using, reviewing and evaluating literacy programs/approaches
1.
Basal readers
a.
History and purpose
b.
Ancillary materials
c.
Appropriate use
2.
Guided reading
a.
Interpreting student reading behaviors, using knowledge of the
cueing systems
b.
Differentiating instruction based on students’ performance
c.
Record keeping
3.
Reading workshop and book collections
a.
Purposes and procedures
b.
Conferencing techniques/logistics
c.
Developing wide selection of books in classroom collection
4.
Literature-based unit
a.
Plan unit, incorporating skills and strategies
5
b.
c.
d.
Adjust instruction to make main novel accessible to all
Provide range of texts for text-based collaborative learning
Integrate motivation principles of choice and interest
5. New literacies
a.
Comprehension on the Internet: What is different?
c.
Blogs, wikis, etc. as meaning-making tools
H.
Motivating middle level readers
1. Guidelines
a.
Importance of read-alouds, with varied materials
b.
Differentiated, scaffolded instruction for student success
c.
Support families of diverse cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic
d.
Base programs on needs of pre-teens/early adolescents
2. Materials
a.
Varied media (graphica novels, internet, blogs, etc.)
b.
Varied technological resources (computer assisted, interactive
websites, penpals,etc.)
c.
Appropriate to grade level, reading level, and interests
VI.
Instructional Resources
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