ERDG 601: Practicum: Instruction to Prevent Literacy Difficulties
Program Requirements and Prerequisites: Students in the Childhood Education and Early Childhood Education programs are given a choice
between ERDG 600 and 601. Students may not take both. ERDG 601 is only offered on campus. This course is also required for Literacy B-6 and B12 programs. Prerequisite: ERDG 655.
Practicum: 15 Hours.
Course Description: Most early literacy difficulties can be prevented through early, responsive, comprehensive, and coherent literacy instruction.
This course focuses on helping teachers to develop greater expertise in identifying and effectively responding to learners who struggle at the early
stages of literacy acquisition. Topics include differentiated instruction in an RTI context, promoting motivation to read and write, the development of
phonological skills, a strategic word approach to word learning, and oral language skills and the knowledge base upon which comprehension
depends. Graduate students provide one-to-one intervention for a young literacy learner and engage small groups of students in interactive read
alouds. Students in the literacy programs must receive a B or better in practicum courses before being allowed to take the capstone class.
Attributes
 Literacy as Social Practice*
 Equity
 Generate Productive Learning Communities**
 Engagement**
 Reciprocal Relationships Across Modes of Communication*
 Strategic Teaching to Promote Self-Extending Learning**
 Assessment of Literacies and Their Development**
 Research Based Professional Learning**
Core Content
Literacy Learning: What children need to
know and be able to do to develop and
expand literate competencies:
 Vocabulary and Language
 Knowledge about the world
 Engagement in meaning construction
with text
 Skill with the alphabetic code (including
phonological awareness and phonics)
Attributes (continued)
 Respectful Representation of Students, Families and Communities**
 Critical Literacies
 Disciplinary Literacy/Knowledge Building*
 Data Based Decision Making**
 Technologies and Digital Media
 Materials and Resources**
 Prevention and Intervention**
 Standards*
Possible Assignments
Plan, deliver, and reflect on
comprehensive and responsive
instruction for an early literacy
learner.
Possible Readings
Scanlon, D.M., Anderson, K.L., & Vellutino, F.R. (2013).
The Interactive Strategies Approach to early intervention. In
D. Barone and M. Mallette (Eds.), Best Practices in Early
Literacy. New York: Guilford Press.
Write a case study summarizing
assessment, observation, and
instructional interactions for the
tutored student.
Scanlon, D. M., Anderson, K. L., & Sweeney, J. M (2010).
Early intervention for reading difficulties: The Interactive
Strategies Approach. New York: Guilford Press.
Scanlon, D. M., Anderson, K.L., Morse, M. J., & Yurkewecz,
T. (2012). Helping your child become a reader. Unpublished
 Strategic Approach to Written Word
Learning (Self-Teaching)
 Automaticity with High Frequency
Words
 Writing
 Engaging in Conversations
 Motivation and self-efficacy
Literacy Teaching: Responsive teaching
based on sensitive observations and
productive organization:
 Understanding the complexity of the
reading process
 Creating a Comprehensive/balanced
Literacy Program
 Promoting coherence/coordination
across learners’ instructional contexts
 Read alouds for comprehension and
oral language development
 Shared and Interactive Reading
 Small group supported reading
 Independent /Silent Reading
 Modeled, Shared and Independent
Writing
 Organization across tiers of instruction
/intervention
 Strategy Instruction with gradual
release of responsibility/self regulation
 Responsive Teaching
 Instructional Conversations
 NYS Curriculum for CCLS
Plan and implement thematic unit in
a read aloud context.
parent booklet, Professional Development Project, Child
Research and Study Center, The University at Albany.
http://www.isaprofessionaldevelopment.org/documents/Paren
t%20Booklet%202012%20color.pdf.
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing
words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York:
Guilford.
Cummins, J. (2011). Literacy engagement: Fueling academic
growth for English learners. The Reading Teacher, 65(2),
142-146.
Protacio, M. S. (2012). Reading motivation: A focus on
English learners. Reading Teacher, 66(1), 69-77. doi:
10.1002/TRTR.01092.
Kieffer, M. J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2007). Breaking Down
Words to Build Meaning: Morphology, Vocabulary, and
Reading Comprehension in the Urban Classroom. The
Reading Teacher, 61(2), 134-144. doi: 10.1598/RT.61.2.3
Funk, A. (2012). The Languages of New York State: A
CUNY-NYSIEB Guide for Educators. New York, NY: The
Graduate Center, City University of New York.
Instructional and Assessment
Materials/Tools:
 Books for different purposes
 Common Core Learning Standards
 NYS English Language Arts
Assessments
 Observation and Record Keeping
Techniques / Strategies
 Lesson Planning (standardized
throughout the department)
 Screening, Diagnostic and Progress
monitoring assessments
 Running records review
Contexts of Learning:
 Home/School Connections
 Instructional Environments
 Students with Special Needs
 Discourse Patterns
(Dialogue/Monologue) within and
across contexts
 Productive Learning Spaces
Teaching/Learning as Inquiry
 Collaboration, Problem Solving and
Examining Assumptions
 Reflective Teaching
 Ways of Organizing for Ongoing
Development
 Self-Extended Learning
 Accessing and Evaluating TechnologyRelated Resources