MED 633
Advanced Reading Comprehension
Spring 2010
Course Materials:
Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies That work. Portland, MA:
Stenhouse
Additional readings will be given in class.
Course Description:
This course is designed to explore comprehension research (1975-2010), assessment
procedures, and instructional practices. Students will practice using the comprehension
strategies they will learn how to teach. A field component requires students to conduct
assessments and teach a comprehension lesson based on assessment data.
Westminster’s Policy on Disabilities and Accommodations:
Westminster College seeks to provide equal access to the college’s programs, services,
and activities to people with disabilities as defined by the ADA and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you have a disability for which you will need
accommodations in this class, please let me know as soon as possible. You will also be
required to provide documentation of your disability to the Services for Students with
Disabilities program in the START Center in Carleson Hall at 832-2280.
Academic Honesty:
This course follows the “Academic Honesty” policy of Westminster College. See the
Student Handbook.
Course Schedule
Note: This syllabus is subject to change.
1/5
Introduction to the course and to each other
What is comprehension?
Can comprehension be taught?
Overview of Comprehension Strategies
1/12
Whole Class Reading : “Using Think Alouds to Assess Comprehension,” Kristi
Assessment of Comprehension: MPIR. Kristi
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1/26 Strategies That Work, Ch. 1: “Reading Is Thinking”
Whole Class Reading: “Feeling-of-Knowing Judgment and Self-Regulation of
Learning,” Hefer Bembenutty____________________
2/2
Strategies That Work, Ch. 2: “Reading Is Strategic”
Whole Class Reading: “Teachers as Readers: How Does My Use of Comprehension
Strategies Influence My Teaching of Reading?” Elizabeth Dobler ____________
2/9
Strategies That Work, Ch. 3: “Effective Comprehension Instruction”
Whole Class Reading: “The Instruction of Reading Comprehension,” P.D. Pearson
& M. C. Gallaghe . Kristi
2/16
Strategies That Work, Ch. 4: “Tools for Active Literacy”
1. “Snapshots of Our Journey to Thoughtful Literacy,” Holly L. Diehl
2. “Reciprocal Teaching for the Primary Grades: “We Can Do It, Too!”
_______________________________
2/23
Strategies That Work, Ch. 5: “Text Matters: Choice Makes a Difference”
1. “She’s My Best Reader; She Just Can’t Comprehend”: Studying the
Relationship Between Fluency and Comprehension,”” Mary DeKonty
Applegate, Anthony J. Applegate, Virginia B. Modla
2. “’The Discovery Channel Said So’ and Other Barriers to Comprehension,” D.
Massey_____________________________
3/9
Strategies That Work, Ch. 6: “Monitoring Comprehension”
1. “Instruction of Metacognitive Strategies Enhances Reading Comphrehension
and Vocabulary Achievement of Third-Grade Students,” Regina BoulwareGooden, Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, R. Malatesha Joshi
2. Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended
Examples (Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy) by Isabel L. Beck
PhD, Margaret G.________________________________
3/16 Strategies That Work, Ch. 7: “Activating and Connecting to Background
Knowledge”
“Untapped Cultural Support: The Influence of Culturally Bound Prior Knowledge
on Comprehension Performance,” Ruanda Garth-McCullough________________
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3/23 Strategies That Work, Ch. 8: “Questioning”
“Using Writing to Improve Comprehension,” B. R. Hefflin & D. K.
Hartman_____________________________
DUE: MPIR/Wade Assessments
3/30 Strategies That Work, Ch. 9: “Visualizing and Inferring”
Whole Class Reading: “Reader Response Meets New Literacies: Empowering
Readers in Online Learning Communities,” Lotta C. Larson.
4/6
Strategies That Work, Ch. 10: “Determining Importance”
“Hitting the Wall: Helping Struggling Readers Comprehend,” R. Reutzel,
K. Camperell, J. A. Smith______________________
DUE: Learning Guide Assignment
4/13
Strategies That Work, Ch. 11: “Summarizing and Synthesizing Information”
Language Structure
Whole Class Reading: “Reading in the Digital Era,” Lisa Patel Stevens & Thomas
W. Bean.
DUE: Comprehension Journal for Strategies That Work
4/20 Final Projects
DUE: Curriculum Maps and Discussions
4/27
Final Session: 6:00-7:50
DUE: Curriculum Maps and Discussions
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Assignments
Comprehension Journal:
Throughout the semester you will each read assigned chapters assigned in Strategies
That Work. For these readings, you will need to keep a journal where you explain your
use of comprehension strategies and notes on content. This is an exercise in
metacognition and content. For metacognition: discuss which strategies you were
conscious of using, discuss what cueing system triggered your recognition that you
misread something, discuss any use of new strategies, and discuss the effectiveness of
your new and old strategies. For content: list ideas that you could use in your teaching.
I see this as ¾ of one page of handwritten notes per week. The journals will be used
during weekly discussions, so please bring them to class each week. See the course
schedule for the due date.
15 Points
Whole Class Discussion Facilitation
For Whole Class Readings, each student will choose one reading to facilitate discussion
around. The whole class will be reading these articles, so the facilitator needs to come
to class with a plan for walking the class through a discussion of the author’s key
concepts. Wherever applicable, the facilitator might also design an exercise, show a
video, etc., that will bring home the essence of the assigned reading. Turn in a list of
your questions and, when applicable, notes for the exercise/video, etc. Plan on
engaging the class in the article for 30-40 minutes.
15 Points
MPIR/Wade:
You will need to conduct in-depth comprehension assessments on two students (try to
select one highly proficient reader and one struggling reader). You will be given tools
for conducting the assessment in class (MPIR and Wade). You will conduct both
assessments on each of two students (four assessments total). We will practice using
these tools in class. You will turn in a report explaining the following:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
which assessment tool was used,
a brief profile of each student’s literacy development,
details of how you administered the assessment (describe the context),
your findings,
your recommendations for each student’s next goals,
a rationale for your instructional plans for meeting the goals you’ve established
for each student,
7) several paragraphs explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each assessment
tool (MPIR and Wade) for each student.
20 Points
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Learning Guide:
You will design one learning guide focused on comprehension. This should be based on
what you discover from the assessment administered above. You can teach the learning
guide to an individual, to a small group, or to a whole class. Use the gradual release of
responsibility (i.e., Three Phase) model of instruction as your format (please see me if
you need help with this model of instruction). You will need to submit your guide, teach
the guide, and write a reflection of the strengths and areas of concern encountered as
you taught the lesson. Include any data that pertains to progress (or lack thereof) made
by the two students you assessed for the assessment assignment described above.
15 Points
Presentation:
Each presentation requires a minimum of a 3 page, typed paper including the following
sections:
 Summary of the author’s essential points/concepts,
 Connections between the author’s essential points/concepts and your
background knowledge,
 Synthesis explaining your sense of the author’s purpose for writing the article,
how the article fits into the comprehension body of research, any political
possibilities, any weaknesses/strengths of the article, etc.
 Implications for your teaching.
 2-3 Discussion Questions
Turn in the typed paper and discussion questions. You will need present your reading to
the class (interactively and creatively).
Create a hand-out for classmates. The hand-out should include key concepts gleaned
from your reading. Remember that your colleagues will not be reading the
article/chapter. Their only source of information on the material will come from your
presentation and your hand-out. Discussion questions (from typed summary) will be
built into your presentation. Please be creative in your presentation. A summary,
alone, will be boring. Decide what the key points of the reading are and then creatively
design exercises that will help you teach these points to the group.
5 Points
5 Points
5 Points
15 Points
Three-page typed summary (including discussion questions)
Presentation
Hand-out
Comprehension Map (Final Project):
You will design a two-week, comprehension, curriculum map (see below). The map
needs to incorporate comprehension strategies (e.g., inferring, predicting, questioning,
connections, summarizing, synthesizing, etc.) and any (or all) of the following
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instructional practices (reciprocal teaching, read aloud, shared reading, guided reading,
independent reading, interactive writing, modeled writing, guided writing, independent
writing, readers’ theater, literature circles, etc.). I’ll be looking for a balance between
minilessons, practice, discussion, and writing. You won’t be writing learning guides for
this assignment. This can be written into a table format with headings such as: Date,
Texts, Comprehension Strategy, Instructional Practices, Assessments, Accommodations
for ELL and students with special needs. No formal presentation of your table is
required. Just be prepared to turn in and discuss your map with classmates during the
final sessions of class.
20 Points
Date
Texts
August La
18
Llorona
Comprehension Instructional
Strategy
Practice
Inferring
Guided
Reading/Guided
Writing
August The
Inferring
19
Woman
Who
Outshone
the Sun
Read
Aloud/Write
Aloud (model
how to write a
letter)
Assessments
Accommodations
Written
responses in
comprehension
logs: Describe
La Llorona’s
personality
(character).
Explain why
you think what
you think.
Phase II
writing:
You are the
mayor. Write a
letter to the
woman at the
end of the
story. Tell her
how everyone
feels about
her.
Spanish-speaking
students will be
able to read the
text in Spanish
Resource
students will not
be in the guided
reading group
reading this text.
The text will be
read in Spanish
and English.
Students can
write in either
English or
Spanish. A slowpaced reading
voice will be
used. Students
with hearing &
vision problems
will be in the
front row.
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Grading:
Grades will be computed on a percentage basis:
100-94 A
93-92 A91-90 B+
89-85 B
84-82 B81-80 C+
79-75 C
74-72 Cetc.
Late assignments will result in a reduction of points. No work will be accepted after a
week past the due date. Absence will result in a reduction of points (two points per
session after the first absence). You are responsible to learn what you missed during an
absence. Additional work will be assigned after the first absence. If more than three
absences occur, the course can not be successfully completed during the current
semester. Please see the instructor if you will have a problem making it to class on time.
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