ELED 316 Reading Instruction
Joyce Wiencek
ELED 316 Catalog description
Introduction to balanced literacy instruction. The course includes developmentally
appropriate word recognition and comprehension strategies, activities, materials, and
programs coupled with organization and grouping procedures to maximize literacy
learning for diverse populations. Field experiences and reflective evaluations included.
Prerequisites: Admission to Professional Teacher Education Program. Corequisite:
ELED 309. Three hours per week.
What the course is all about…
It is designed to develop students’ schema of what reading is and how to teach it so that
they will have the rudimentary tools they need to teach and support their future readers’
reading development. The course spans the continuum from beginning readers to readers
at the middle school level.
1. Students will be knowledgeable about and able to meet the needs of a variety of
readers along the developmental continuum.
2. Students will be able to explain various reading techniques and be able to use
them with readers.
3. Students will develop an awareness and understanding of the complex nature of
reading instruction and the core components of reading—phonemic awareness,
phonics, automaticity, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
4. Students will understand that differentiation of instruction for readers is
essential and know how to differentiate instruction.
5. Students will be able to design a guided reading lesson plan for readers in their
field placement.
6. Students will be able to chose materials for readers that are appropriate for their
stage of development and interests.
7. Students will be able to explain the difference between process, strategies and
skills in reading and how to make these core components of their instruction.
8. Students will be able to communicate effectively with students, parents and
administrators about reading.
Newsletter
ELED 316
Purpose: Students will be able to communicate effectively with parents via a newsletter.
Good communication between parents and teachers is essential. Teachers should always
be informing parents about what is occurring in the classroom and how they can support
their child’s learning at home. Teachers should be proactive in their newsletters so that
parents understand the types of teaching and learning that are occurring and are expected.
Goals or Objectives met:
9. Students will be able to explain various reading techniques and be able to use
them with readers.
10. Students will be able to explain the difference between process, strategies and
skills in reading and how to make these core components of their instruction.
11. Students will be able to communicate effectively with students, parents and
administrators about reading.
Assignment
To create a two-sided one- page newsletter to send home to parents to keep them
informed.
One side of the newsletter should be a general information page about important
events that are occurring, special assignments, new topics being studied, and other tidbits
of information. Be sure to title your newsletter and include basic information such as
grade level, teacher contact information (phone and email), date of newsletter and school
name. Use a 12 point basic font such as Geneva or Times. Use black ink only.
The second side of the newsletter should be used to keep parents informed about how to
assist their child’s learning in one content area such as reading. With reading as the focus
the task is to explain how parents can reinforce one reading strategy that their child has
learned to use in school. So first select one reading strategy from the list that follows:
summarizing, visualizing, monitoring one’s reading, self-questioning, using a graphic
organizer, setting a purpose for reading, activating and relating prior knowledge, and/or
identifying cause and effect.
After selecting your strategy you will use it as the focus for the text you write.
In your newsletter:
1. explain what a strategy is,
2. next state what your focus strategy is,
3. then explain why this strategy is important
4. and then how to do the strategy in a step-by-step fashion. It is always better to
use a concrete example when explaining the application of the strategy so chose a
book or write a piece of text in which you can demonstrate what is to be done.
Be sure to explain to parents why we want them to reinforce this strategy at home with
their child. Make it clear that the teaching/learning experience is a partnership between
home and school and we need their help.
Evaluation of Final Product
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Visually appealing
Basic contact and information pieces-title, school, grade, teacher information
Good information that will make parents want to read more.
Explicit and factually correct articulation of strategy and how to do it in a step-bystep process that a parent could follow.
Concrete example of the strategy with a text
Word processed
The text should be meaningful, well written, with correct spelling, sentence
formation, grammar and mechanics correct.