San Diego State University
TE 639: Literacy and Language
Professor Sharan A. Gibson, Fall 2014
Instructor:
Telephone:
Dr. Sharan A. Gibson
619-594-7182
Office:
Email:
Schedule:
Wednesday, 4:00-6:40, SDSU Literacy Center
EBA 209
sgibson@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Before and after class (at the Literacy Center), and by appointment.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of TE 930 or 933.
Course Overview:
This course addresses theories of literacy learning and teaching focused on effective instruction
and assessment for the teaching of language, reading and writing to all students, including
struggling students, English learners, students with disabilities, and those identified as talented
and gifted. Students are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of the interrelated
features of language and literacy learning, and to apply these understandings in analysis of
formal and informal assessment results, classroom practices, California’s Common Core
Standards for English Language Arts, and the English Language Arts/English Language
Development Framework for California Public Schools: Transitional Kindergarten Through
Grade Twelve.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Each student will demonstrate the ability to:
1. Define research-based theoretical models of language and literacy, and describe the
implications of these theories for literacy instruction and development.
2. Understand the characteristics of evidence-based instruction.
3. Describe and apply the characteristics of effective language and literacy instruction for
culturally, linguistically, socio-economic, gender-based and cognitively-diverse learners,
including struggling students, English learners, students with disabilities, and those
identified as talented and gifted.
4. Apply knowledge of aspects of language development to the design of literacy
instruction, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
5. Understand and apply teacher demonstration and modeling, massed and distributed
practice, and opportunities for student independent practice to support students’ language
and literacy learning.
6. Develop understanding of the purposes and characteristics of ongoing formal and
informal assessments of individual students’ progress to insure that all learners develop
proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking quickly and effectively.
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Course Materials:
Required Textbook (Available at SDSU Aztec Bookstore)
Kucer (2014, 4th Edition). Dimensions of literacy. A conceptual base for teaching
reading and writing in school settings. Routledge.
Other articles or chapters as described in class schedule or discussions (available on
Blackboard).
Course Requirements:
1. Lesson Plan Project. As a major assignment for this course, you are required to apply
your study of theories of effective literacy instruction to a redesign of one specific
example of your own teaching. This application of course content to your teaching
should change the way you design and implement instruction, providing a solid context
for your reflection on effective literacy instruction. Your work for this project should be
based on an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the theories discussed in
readings and class activities, and must incorporate relevant aspects of developmental,
sign systems, cognitive, and sociocultural dimensions of literacy.
You will need to choose one particular type of literacy-related instruction that you teach
as a focus for your application of information gained from course readings and class
activities. Be sure to choose instruction that you are interested in expanding or
improving based on content studied in this class. You will need to construct a
professional evaluation of your teaching based on course content, utilizing your
evaluation of the strength and weaknesses in your instructional procedures to design
improvements.
The project will include the following steps:
1. Write a 2-page lesson plan for a type of teaching that you would like to fine tune
based on discussions this semester. Include (use bulleted information):
Instructional goals, description of grade level and students, and a brief description
of steps used for this lesson.
2. Complete an assessment with children that relates to at least one of the major
goals described in your lesson plan. Based on your analysis of results, write a
one-page reflection describing children’s major strength and weaknesses. Relate
this discussion to your instructional decisions as described in your lesson plan.
Turn in your reflection and copies of children’s work for the assessment.
3. Based on relevant readings and discussions for this course, as well as your
assessment and observation of children’s needs, engage in a theory-driven
redesign of your initial lesson plan. Submit your redesigned lesson plan along
with a one-page description of your reasons for the additions or changes that you
made to the original lesson plan.
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Your work for this project will be graded at the end of the semester based on the full set
of papers submitted across the semester, using the following criteria:
30 points
25-29
points
20-24
points
19 points
or below
 Your project demonstrates a professional evaluation of your own teaching,
including your significant effort to design improvement and/or expansion
of a particular aspect of your teaching. Your redesigned lesson plan
provides clear description of change in design of this instruction.
 Your instructional redesign for this project incorporates several relevant
aspects of the developmental, sign systems, cognitive, and sociocultural
dimensions of literacy included in course content.
 Your project demonstrates your accurate and comprehensive
understanding of the relevant literacy theories.
 All required components were complete and submitted on time as
described in the course syllabus, schedule and in class.
 Each of your papers for this project was well edited and written in a clear
and professional manner.
Your work for this project meets all of the criteria listed above, with only
minor areas of concern.
Your work for this project meets all of the criteria listed above, but with a
significant area of concern or weakness in 1 or 2 criteria as listed above.
Your work for this project is incomplete and/or demonstrates significant
areas of concern or weaknesses in more than 2 criteria as listed above.
2. In-Class Quickwrite Assignments. You will write five 1-paragraph responses to our
study of instructional theories for literacy instruction during class time. Your responses
should demonstrate accurate and comprehensive understanding of concepts and literacy
theories as presented in readings and class activities. I will provide you with a specific
prompt for each quick write, and provide feedback. Four (out of five) quick write
responses will be applied to your course grade.
3. Special Topics Presentation. Choose a particular topic (related to our class readings and
discussions) that you are interested in studying in more depth. Identify and review at
least 2 credible, high quality sources of information on this topic. Present a 15-minute
(maximum) presentation to your classmates describing the results of your study. Your
presentation should demonstrate your accurate and comprehensive understanding of key
aspects of your chosen topic, and enrich your classmates’ understanding. Prepare a onepage handout for your classmates (and instructor) to accompany your presentation. Be
sure to cite the sources you used for this project in your handout.
Attendance
Your full participation in all class sessions, and completion of all reading assignments, are
crucial aspects of your learning for this course. If you must miss a seminar session due to
unavoidable difficulties, it is your own responsibility to check with other students in the class to
catch up on missed information and/or requirements.
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Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any
delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as
soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an
accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Grading Criteria:
Assignment
Class Participation
Best of 4 in class quickwrite assignments (5 points each)
Lesson Plan Project
Special Topics Presentation
Total Points
Point Value
20
20
30
30
100
Late assignments will result in a significantly lower grade.
Point to Grade Conversion
A
94-100
A90-93
B+
86-89
B
83-85
B80-82
C+
76-79
C
73-75
C70-72
D or F
Below 70
Syllabus is Subject to Change
The syllabus, class schedule, and assignments for this course are subject to change. If you are
absent from class, it is your own responsibility to check for any announcements or schedule
changes made while you were absent.