DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Spring 2009
Title: Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties
Course Numbers: CURIN 871-81
Course Time Schedule: 5:00-7:50
Monday
Location: Room 309, Hughes Hall
Credit Hours:
3
Instructor: Carolyn R. Fehrenbach, Ph.D.
Office Phone:
620-235-4483
Home Phone: 620-232-7720
Office:
112C Hughes Hall
Office Hours: Before or after class
e-mail: cfehrenb@pittstate.edu
I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An in-depth study of the elements necessary for the diagnosis of reading
difficulties in a remedial setting and in the classroom. Each prospective reading
specialist is responsible for the development of a diagnosis and case study for a
primary level student and an intermediate/middle level/ or high school student.
II.
PREREQUISITES
CURIN 870 Developmental Reading Instruction or permission of the instructor.
III.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
1. The graduate reading program is designed to develop in teachers a greater
understanding of and competence in teaching literacy; a strong commitment to
students who are developing literacy skills; and a caring environment in which
students can learn.
2. The purpose of this course is to provide prospective reading specialists with a
background in the diagnostic principles and procedures necessary to assess
students’ reading problems. Reading specialists become familiar with analyzing
data and conveying results of their interpretations through oral and written
reports. They are responsible for locating two students for administering a battery
of tests. One student must be from a primary grade and one must be from an
intermediate, middle school or high school grade, since reading specialists are
seeking K-12 licensure. Students selected need to be performing below grade
level in reading. Reading specialists are to write a case study for each of the two
students which interprets the results and makes recommendations. The case
studies will be written as well as shared in oral reports. (Specific students’ names
will be removed or covered for the oral class reports to insure confidentiality.)
IV.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
As a result of the course, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and
performance of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Standards for
Reading Specialist, Early Childhood through Late Adolescence/Adulthood, Pre
K-12 as addressed in this course. Reading Standards met in the Diagnosis course
are as follows:
Standard #1: The reading specialist demonstrates knowledge of the
foundations of reading and writing processes and instruction.
Assessed by summaries and reflections - including implications for own teaching
- on current articles from professional journals. Graded by a rubric.
Standard #3: The reading specialist demonstrates the use of a
variety of assessment tools and practices to plan and evaluate
effective literacy instruction.
Assessed by practice with formal and informal instruments and procedures (normreferenced tests, criterion-referenced tests, formal and informal inventories,
student self evaluations, work/performance samples, observations, anecdotal
records, journals, and others) for students functioning at a low level of literacy
development. Reported by actual assessment instruments/procedures and case
studies. Graded by a rubric.
V. REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Required Text:
Flynt and Cooter, Reading Inventory for the Classroom (Any edition)
Other: Text furnished by Dr. Fehrenbach
How to Increase Reading Ability, Harris and Sipay, 7th, 8th or 9th edition
(Available for checkout from Dr. Fehrenbach for assigned readings)
Notebook for lecture notes
IMPORTANT NOTE: Save all assignments from this course and your other
reading courses for documentation in your exit portfolio in the Apprenticeship
course.
VI.
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Slosson Intelligence Test, Revised (SIT-R), Slosson, Slosson Educational
Publications, Inc. (Available for checkout from Dr. Fehrenbach)
Handouts from the instructor
Professional journals
VII.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Lectures
Class discussions
Class presentations
Cooperative learning activities
Scoring and interpreting tests
Analyzing case studies
Simulated peer practice
pg 2
VIII. ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION
Assignments
Journal Article Review
Points Possible
40
A word processed professional article summary and
reflection - including implications for the reading specialist’s
own teaching - from a current professional literacy journal or
worthwhile Internet site. The article needs to relate to Standard #1.
The assignment will be graded by a rubric and will also be shared
orally in class.
Survey of Classroom Reading Program and Assessments 20
Students will complete a survey on their classroom reading program
and reading assessments given in the classroom and district.
Word Processed and Oral Presentation on One Assessment
and Its Interpretation
100
Students will write a brief summary describing one type of reading
assessment, preferably one given in their classroom or district, and bring an
example of the assessment to class (black out the child’s name). Students are
not required to give this particular assessment, but may bring one that has
been given in their school or district.
Students are to make a copy of their description of the assessment summary
for each class member (not the child’s test,)
Examples of assessments are AR, DIBELS, SFA, Jerry Johns, etc. In order
to present a variety of assessements to the class, we will first decide in class
the specific assessment each student will present.
Exam
150
Take-home exam -Includes readings from
Harris and Sipay, Chapters 6-11, 8th or 9th edition
Harris and Sipay, Chapters 7-13, 7th edition
Class discussions and lecture
Primary Testing
200
Administration (scoring and interpretation) of a battery
of tests administered to a primary age student perceived
to have difficulty.
Primary Grade
Interest inventory
Letter names
Phonics (Letter sounds)
Sight words
pg3
Primary Grade (Contd)
Oral reading test: Comprehension
Miscues ( word errors with Miscue Analysis chart)
Fluency rate
Listening comprehension test
Informal assessments
Assessment is graded by a rubric for Standard #3
Primary Case Study
200
A written and oral case study on a primary grade student
and an intermediate, middle school, or high school student
prepared according to the form provided by the
professor.
Intermediate/Middle School or High School Testing
200
Administration (scoring and interpretation) of a battery
of tests administered to an intermediate, middle school,
or high school student perceived to have difficulty.
Intermediate/Middle School/ or High School
Interest inventory
Graded word list
Silent reading comprehension test
Oral reading test: Comprehension
Miscues ( word errors with Miscue Analysis chart)
Fluency rate
Listening comprehension test
Slosson Intelligence test
Informal assessments
Assessment is graded by a rubric for Standard #3
Intermediate/Middle School or High School Case Study 200
A written and oral case study on an intermediate, middle
school, or high school student prepared according to the
form provided by the professor.
Overall Grading Scale:
90-100% A
80-89%
B
70-79%
C
60-69%
D
Below 60% F
pg 4
SCHEDULE OF READING ASSIGNMENTS
TENTATIVE DATES
SPRING 2009
Note: Please bring your borrowed Harris and Sipay text to class.
Day 1 (Jan.26)Topics: Reading Readiness, Environments, and Terminology
Harris & Sipay Text
Green book: Chapter 1, pp. 29-31
White book: Chapter 2, pp. 40-43
Gold book: Chapter 2, pp. 49-51
Assignments: 1. Journal Article Review on Standard #1 Due Feb. 9
(Show rubric)
2. Survey on Reading Programs
Due Feb. 9
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 2 (Feb. 2) Guest Speaker: What One Reading Specialist Does
Lecture:
Emergent literacy behaviors
Pre-reading skills checklist
Show Morrow’s text, Literacy Development in the Early Years
Discuss labels, letters, and word walls
Research on home environments of successful readers
*********************
Topic: Terminology
Harris & Sipay Text
White book: Chapter 6, pp. 134-138 and 142 terms
Green book: Chaper 7, pp. 134-139 and 144-145 terms
Gold book: Chapter 6, pp. 152-153 terms
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 3 (Feb. 9) Sharing of journal articles on Standard #1
Sharing of surveys on reading programs
Topic: Assessment
Assignment: Written and oral report on a specific assessment with an
example.
Lecture:
Example of primary case study
Formal and informal assessments
Interest Inventories
Class graph of reading interests
****************
Due Feb. 23
pg 5
Topic: Primary Test Requirements for Class
Required Primary Test: Interest Inventories
Lecture:
Flynt-Cooter text examples of interest and attitude surveys
Handouts on primary interest inventories
***********************
Required Primary Test: Letter Identification
Lecture:
Handouts on letter sounds test/ Digraphs
Required Primary Test: Phonics (phoneme-grapheme associaons between
a sound and the symbol that it represents)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 4 (Feb. 16)
Topic: Assessment (Continued)
Required Primary Test: Sight Words
Lecture:
Definiton of sight words
Handout on Dolch sight words test
*************************
Required Primary Test: Oral reading test
Harris & Sipay Text
White book: Chapter 7, pp. 182-189
Green book: Chapter 9, pp. 209-217 and 219
Gold book: Chapter 7, pp. 207-215
Lecture:
Oral reading tests
Reading levels, Bett’s criteria
Preprimer oral reading
Continuing the oral reading tests until the student reaches the
frustration level on either comprehension or word recognition.
Lecture:
Types of miscues
Miscue analysis graph
Rate of reading
pg6
Day 5 (Feb. 23) Presentations and Summaries on Assigned Assessments
Topic:
Required PDIAGSYLSPRG09 New.docrimary Test: Listening
comprehension (Teacher reads the passage to the student)
Harris & Sipay Text
White book: Chapter 6, pp. 146-147
Green book: Chapter 7, pp. 148-149
Gold book: Chapter 6, pp. 167-168
Lecture:
Continue the listening tests until the student reaches the frustration level.
Assignment:
Primary Case Study
Due March 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 6 (March 2) NO CLASS Work on Primary Case studies at home
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 7 (March 9) Primary case studies due – Word processed report
(Make two copies of case studies)
Oral presentations
(Do not show child’s name)
Day 8 (March 23)
Assignment: Mid-term exam
Due April 6
Lecture:
Slosson
Day 9 (March 30)
Lecture:
Assessment requirements for intermediate, middle or high school students
Example of case study for upper grades
Due April 20
Day 10 (April 6)
Collect mid-term exams
Due April 6
Review any student assessments
Day 11 (April 13)
NO CLASS Work on Upper Grade Case studies at home
Day 12 (April 20)
Upper grade case studies due – Word processed report Due April 20
(Make two copies of case studies)
Oral presentations(Do not show child’s name)
pg7DIAGSYLSP
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