ERDG 500: Classroom Literacy Instruction
Program Requirements and Prerequisites: This is a required course for all programs—Literacy B-6, Literacy 5-12, Literacy B-12, Childhood
Education and Early Childhood Education.
Course Description: This class introduces instruction and development in literacy including research-based strategies, materials, and assessment
practices consistent with state and national standards. The focus is on intentional, critical literacy teaching with topics including; children's learning
and thinking, instructional planning, tools and formats for balanced literacy instruction, text complexity, leveled texts, dialogic instruction, engaging
families, running records and reading inventories, vocabulary-, syntax- and knowledge building.
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
Instructional Frameworks (grades 2-6)
- Shared, Independent and Interactive
Reading
- Guided Reading
- Small, needs-based group instruction
- Writers Workshop
- Classroom Organization
- Comprehensive Approach to Literacy
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
Letter to Families
- Write a letter to families (for students in
your future K-6 classroom) describing
your philosophy of literacy teaching and
learning.
Leveled Text Project
- Analyze texts at varying levels for their
text features and the
knowledge/understandings student would
need to have to successfully access them
Possible Readings
Allington, R. L., (2012). What Really
Matters for Struggling Readers. New York:
Longman.
Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., &
Johnston, F. (2011). Words their way- 5E.
New Jersey: Merrill.
Clay, M. (2000). Running Records for
Classroom Teachers. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Johnston, P. (2000). Running records: A selftutoring guide. York, ME: Stenhouse.
Instructional Processes (grades 2-6)
- Building Literate Communities
- Reflective Teaching
- Responsive Teaching
- Working with Diverse Learners
- Dialogic Interaction
- Engagement/Motivation
- Family Engagement
Concepts (grades 2-6)
- Word Knowledge and Fluency
- Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Word Study
- Self-Extending Learning
- Strategic Reading and Writing
- Reading-writing-speaking-listening
synergies
- Critical Literacy
Instructional Materials/Tools (grades 2-6)
- Textbook Materials
- Lesson Planning
- Books
- Leveling Texts
Assessment Materials/Tools (grades 2-6)
- Common Core Learning Standards
- NY English Language Arts Assessments
- Running Records
- Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark
Assessment
- Record Keeping Techniques / Strategies
Classroom Lessons
- Plan for lessons across the balanced
literacy continuum- read aloud, shared
reading, guided reading and independent
reading- for a particular grade level or
group of students.
Inquiry Project
- Develop an inquiry-based project aligned
with a topic of interest from the course
outline.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2006). Teaching
for comprehending and fluency. Portsmouth,
N.H: Heinemann.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2001). Guiding
readers and writers: Grades 3-6.
Portsmouth, N.H: Heinemann.
Johnston, P.H. (2004). Choice words: How
our language effects children’s learning.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Reflective Journal
- Write journal entries throughout the
semester that summarize, critique, and
reflect on the readings, connect them to
prior knowledge and teaching experience,
make connections to other texts, and draw
implications for integrated literacy
instruction.
Johnston, P.H. (2004). Opening minds:
Using language to change lives. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse.
Running Record Assignments
- Take and analyze multiple running
records and provide implications for
instruction.
Miller, D. (2012). Reading with meaning 2e.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Lehman, C. & Roberts, K. (2013). Falling in
love with close reading: Lessons for
analyzing texts and life. Portsmouth, N.H:
Heinemann.
Miller, D. (2008). Teaching with intention:
Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking
action, K-5. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Owocki, G. (2013). The common core
writing book: K-5. Lessons for a range of
tasks, purposes and audiences. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Owocki, G. (2012). The common core lesson
plan book: K-5. Working with increasingly
complex literature, informational text and
foundational reading skills. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Seravallo, J. (2010). Teaching reading in
small groups: Differentiated instruction for
building strategic, independent readers.
Portsmouth, N.H: Heinemann.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S (2012). Genre
study: Teaching with fiction and non-fiction
books. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2010). The
continuum of literacy learning, Grades preK8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Keene, E.O. & Zimmermann, S. (2013).
Years Later, Comprehension Strategies Still
at Work. The Reading Teacher, 66(8), 601–
606.
Schugar, H.R., Smith, C.A. & Schugar, J.T.
(2013). Teaching With Interactive Picture EBooks in Grades K–6. The Reading Teacher,
66(8), 615–624.
Harris, K.R., Graham, S., Friedlander, B. &
Laud, L. (2013). Bring Powerful Writing
Strategies Into Your Classroom! Why and
How. The Reading Teacher, 66(7), 538–542.
Harvey, Stephanie & Goudvis, Anne (2013).
Comprehension at The Core. The Reading
Teacher, 66(6), 432–439.
Hiebert, Elfrieda H. (2013). Supporting
Students’ Movement Up the Staircase of
Text Complexity. The Reading Teacher,
66(6), 459–468.
Roskos, Kathleen & Neuman, Susan B.
(2013). Common Core, Commonplaces, and
Community in Teaching Reading. The
Reading Teacher, 66(6), 469–473.
Dewitz, Peter & Jones, Jennifer. (2013).
Using Basal Readers: From Dutiful Fidelity
to Intelligent Decision Making. The Reading
Teacher, 66(5), 391–400.
Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2012). Guided
Reading: The Romance and the Reality. The
Reading Teacher, 66(4), 268–284.
Morrell, E. (2012). 21st-Century Literacies,
Critical Media Pedagogies, and Language
Arts. The Reading Teacher, 66(4), 300–302.
Miller, D. (2012). Creating A Classroom
Where Readers Flourish. The Reading
Teacher, 66(2), 88–92.
McLaughlin, M., & Overturf, B.J. (2012).
The Common Core: Insights Into the K–5
Standards. The Reading Teacher, 66(2), 153–
164.
Scanlon, D., Anderson, K. & Yurkewecz.
(2012). Helping your child become a reader.
ISA Professional Development Project.
Opitz, M. F. and Harding-DeKam, J. L.
(2007), Understanding and Teaching
English-Language Learners. The Reading
Teacher, 60: 590–593.
Bauer, E. B., Manyak, P. C. and Cook, C.
(2010), Supporting Content Learning for
English Learners. The Reading Teacher, 63:
430–432.
Manyak, P. C. (2007), A Framework for
Robust Literacy Instruction for English
Learners. The Reading Teacher, 61: 197–
199.
Wessels, S. (2011). Promoting Vocabulary
Learning for English Learners. The Reading
Teacher: A Journal of Research-Based
Classroom Practice, 65(1), 46–50.