University of Rhode Island
School of Education
EDC 424
Teaching Literacy in the Elementary School
Section 02
Spring, 2010
Tues/Thurs. 9:30-10:45
Chafee 219
Dr. Julie Coiro
Phone: 874-4872
Office: Chafee 615
Hours: Tues 10:45-12:15
Email: jcoiro@mail.uri.edu
Prerequisites: EDC 312 or EDC512 and EDC423, or graduate standing
Course Description:
This course is a major professional course that prepares you to teach literacy in grades K-2.
Through class discussions, activities, observations, and assignments, you will examine effective
methods for teaching the many facets of literacy, including phonics, phonemic awareness,
fluency comprehension, and vocabulary to diverse students.
Course readings, activities, and requirements are designed to help you gain knowledge and
skills necessary to achieve Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards 2 and 3 (for literacy
content and development) at the Introduction and Development levels, and components of
Standards 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 at the Introduction and/or Development level. They are also
designed to meet the cumulative achievement of Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 of the International
Reading Association’s Standards for Reading Professionals (2003) at the classroom teacher
level, and the School of Education’s Graduate Themes 1 (Content), 3 (Diverse Learning), 5
(Professional Development), and 6 (Professional Practice) for graduate students enrolled in this
course.
Course Goals:
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To build an understanding of literacy development as a cognitive, linguistic, and social
process, and as the interrelationship of reading, writing, speaking, and listening (RIBTS
2.1, 3.1 – Development; IRA 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4; Graduate Theme 6)
To begin learning about the English language as a linguistic and alphabetic system
(RIBTS 2.1, 3.1 - Introduction and Development; IRA 1.4; Graduate Theme 6)
To begin learning instructional strategies for teaching children about language and print
(RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3 – Introduction, Development; IRA 2.2, 2.3; Graduate Theme 6)
To begin learning ways to assess students’ understanding and use of literacy and
provide instruction related to what they need to learn (RIBTS 2.2, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2,
9.1, 9.2, 9.5 – Introduction, Development; IRA 3.1, 3.2, 3.3; Graduate Themes 3 and 6)
To begin to develop teaching, assessment, and organizational plans for literacy lessons
(RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 8.4, 9.1, 9.2, 9.5 - Introduction
and Development; IRA 2.2, 2.3, 4.2, 4.4; Graduate Themes 3 and 6)
1
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To promote recognition and application of principles of effective literacy teaching in
elementary classrooms (RIBTS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 - Introduction and Development; IRA 2;
Graduate Themes 3 and 6)
To foster collaboration in a community of learners, professionalism and ethical standards
in literacy teaching and learning, and awareness of professional resources and
organizations that support and inspire reading teachers (RIBTS 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4,
11.1, 11.4 – Introduction; IRA 5.1, 5.2, 5.4; Graduate Theme 5)
To build understanding of the content and goals of the Rhode Island Reading Policy and
the Tri-State New England Grade Level Expectations and how those influence teaching
and testing in this state (RIBTS 7.4 – Development; IRA 5.2; Graduate Theme 5 and 6)
Required Texts:
Course Website: http://edc424uri.wikispaces.com/
Tompkins, G. (2006). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson. **See online support at http://www.prenhall.com/tompkins
Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2008). Words Their Way: Word
study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Merrill.
Armbruster, B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2003). Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks
for Teaching Children to Reading. Jessup, MD: National Institute for Literacy.
Beck, I., & McKeown, M. (2001). Text talk: Capturing the benefits of read-aloud
experiences for young children. The Reading Teacher, 55, 10-20.
Flood, J., Lapp, D., Flood, S., & Nagel, G. (1992). Am I allowed to group? Using flexible
grouping patterns for effective instruction. The Reading Teacher, 45(8), 608-616.
Ford, M., & Opitz, M. (2002). Using centers to engage children during guided reading time:
Intensifying learning experiences away from the teacher. The Reading Teacher, 55(8),
pp. 710-717.
Griffith, K. & Rasinski, T. (2004). A focus on fluency: How one teacher incorporated fluency with
her reading curriculum. The Reading Teacher, 58(2), 126-137.
Tri-State New England Compact (2004). Grade Level Expectations for Reading and Writing
Grades K-5 (Two separate documents). Providence, RI: Rhode Island Department of
Education. http://www.ride.ri.gov/Instruction/gle.aspx
Rhode Island Reading Panel (2004). Rhode Island PreK-12 Literacy Policy. RI: Rhode Island
Department of Education. http://www.ride.ri.gov/instruction/readingpolicy.aspx
Yopp, H. K. & Yopp, R. H. (2000). Supporting phonemic awareness development in the
classroom. The Reading Teacher, 54, 130-144.
Zucker, T.A., & Invernizzi, M. (2008, May). My eSorts and digital extensions of word study. The
Reading Teacher, 61(8), 654–658.
2
Supplemental Texts: (From EDC 423)
Hancock, M. (2008). A Celebration of Literature and Response: Children, Books, and
Teachers in K-8 Classrooms (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill.
Course Requirements and Grading:
This course is an opportunity for you, as a prospective teacher, to become part of a community
of learners who are committed to learning through reading, writing, discussing, and
collaborating. To be a part of that community, you need to attend every class meeting and
participate thoughtfully in all activities. Points will be deducted for missed classes (10 points),
tardiness (5 points), and late assignments (points equivalent to one letter grade per
assignment). You may request a make up assignment for ONE missed class period. The
make-up is eligible for up to 1/2 of the class points (10 points maximum). In order to earn the
maximum number of points for each activity listed below, please arrive at all class sessions on
time and complete all assignments in a timely manner. **Please see below for special instances of
the flu that override this policy.
Illness Due to Flu
The H1N1 Flu Pandemic may impact classes this semester. If any of us develop flu-like
symptoms, we are being advised to stay home until the fever has subsided for 24 hours. So, if
you exhibit such symptoms, please do not come to class. Notify me of your status by email at
jcoiro@mail.uri.edu or call at 874-4872, and we will communicate through the Ning and/or email
to work together to ensure that course instruction and work is completed for the semester.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted simple methods to avoid
transmission of illness. These include: covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when
coughing or sneezing; frequently washing your hands to protect from germs; avoiding touching
your eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home when you are sick. For more information,
please view www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm. URI information on the H1N1 will be posted on
the URI website at http://www.uri.edu/news/H1N1, with links to the www.cdc.gov site.
Academic honesty and integrity are expected of all students. Any work that you submit must be
your own work. Any ideas, information, approaches, or formats that you use based on the work
of others must be acknowledged by citing the appropriate sources. Citations must follow the
format of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. (Quick
reference sheets can usually be found on the web.)
All course assignments (listed below) are designed to help you meet the Rhode Island
Beginning Teacher Standards, and to help you demonstrate your understanding of literacy
instruction recommended in the Rhode Island Reading Policy. Each assignment is worth a
number of points. The points earned for each assignment divided by the total number of
possible points will yield a percentage. Grades will be assigned to percentages as follows:
94-100% = A
84-86% = B
90-93% = A80-83% = B-
87-89% = B+
77-79% = C+
Course evaluation is based on the following:
1. Participation: Your dispositions toward learning demonstrated through your prompt
attendance at all class periods, active participation in all class activities, demonstrated
understanding of course readings and discussions through class assignments, and
professional interactions with colleagues and instructors (RIBTS 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3,
3
10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 11.1, 11.4 – Introduction; IRA 5.1, 5.3, 5.4; SOE 5) 100 points (4
points each class)
2. Quizzes (3): Comprehensive understanding of key concepts related to the teaching of
reading demonstrated through your satisfactory performance on class assessments
(RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 7.4, 8.4, 9.1, 9.2, 9.5 –
Development; IRA 1; SOE 1) 25 points each
3. Reading Guides/Activities (4): Your understanding of key concepts covered in the
readings demonstrated through your completion of an advanced organizer or small
group activity. (RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 7.4, 8.4, 9.1, 9.2,
9.5 – Development; IRA 1; SOE 1) 10 points each
4. Final Exam: Comprehensive understanding of key concepts related to the teaching of
reading demonstrated through your satisfactory performance on a cumulative final exam
(RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 7.4, 8.4, 9.1, 9.2, 9.5 –
Development; IRA 1; SOE 1) 100 points
5. Word Study Demonstration: Your understanding of developmentally appropriate word
study instruction demonstrated by you describing and demonstrating one word study
activity related to the stage of reading development in your lesson plan and posting the
activity to the course wikispace. (RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3 - Introduction and
Development; IRA 1.4; 2.2; SOE 1, 6) 25 points
6. Lesson Plan: Your understanding of balanced literacy instruction demonstrated by you
creating a literacy lesson plan. (RIBTS 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2,
8.3, 8.4, 9.1, 9.2, 9.5 - Development; IRA 2.1, 2.2; SOE 1, 6) 100 points
7. Literacy Photo Journal: Your observations and explanations of first-grade literacy
instruction demonstrated through you photographing and annotating a first-grade
classroom (the Photo Journal and Literacy Center tasks jointly apply to RIBTS 1.2; 2.2,
2.3; 3.1, 3.2, 3.3; 4.1, 4.4; 5.5; 6.1, 6.3, 6.6, 6.7; 7.1; 9.1 – Introduction and
Development; IRA 2, 3, 4; SOE Themes 3 & 6) 75 points
8. Literacy Center: Your ability to design appropriate instructional opportunities
demonstrated by you working with colleagues to design and engage your colleagues in a
literacy center for first-grade students (the Photo Journal and Literacy Center tasks
jointly apply to RIBTS 1.2; 2.2, 2.3; 3.1, 3.2, 3.3; 4.1, 4.4; 5.5; 6.1, 6.3, 6.6, 6.7; 7.1; 9.1
– Introduction and Development; IRA 2, 3, 4; SOE Themes 3 & 6) 100 points
Please note: If you have a documented disability which may require individual
accommodations, please make an appointment with me prior to the third class meeting. We will
discuss how to meet your needs to ensure your full participation and fair assessment
procedures. You should also contact Disability Services for Students, Office of Student Life,
330 Memorial Union, 874-2098.
This is a challenging course. Success requires that you keep pace with the work, understand
course concepts, and study effectively. The Academic Enhancement Center (www.uri.edu/aec)
is a great place to do this. At the AEC you can work alone or in groups, and tutors and
professional learning specialists are available to help you to learn, manage your time and work,
and study well. They're open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays
4
until 1 p.m. All services are free (the coffee is free as well!), and no appointment is needed. You
can call them for complete information at 874-2367, or just stop by the center on the fourth floor
of Roosevelt Hall.
424 Section 2 (Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45 AM) Course Schedule TOMPKINS 5th EDITION
Date/Topic
Class Activities
January 26 (T)
Course Intro
Activity: Learning about you and
the course
January 29 (TH)
Oral Language
and Reading
Development
Activity: Jeopardy Game with
Principles of Effective Teaching of
Reading & Writing (Ch. 1)
Interactive Lecture: Oral language
and Reading development
Interactive Lecture: Core areas of
reading; RI Reading Policy; GLEs
Activity: Mapping RI Reading GLE
Directions: Word study
demonstration
Interactive Lecture: Emergent
Literacy; Learning to read and
concepts about print
Activity: Concepts of print
assessment
Directions: Photo Journal
Interactive Lecture: Oral to written
language development; songs and
activities for phonological
awareness (Dechant’s Chart)
Activity: Begin outlining lessons for
teaching levels of phonological
awareness
Feb. 2 (T)
Core Areas of
Reading and
RI GLEs
February 4 (TH)
Emergent
Literacy
February 9 (T)
The Sounds of
Language:
Levels of
Phonological
Awareness
February 11
(TH)
Phonemic
Awareness
Assessment
and Instruction
Interactive Lecture: Phonemic
awareness assessment and
instruction with Elkonian boxes
Activity: Finish outlining lessons for
PA with your group
QUIZ #1
Interactive Lecture: Teaching letter
sounds
Activity: Letter/sound assessment,
alphabet books
February 18
Interactive Lecture: Teaching
(TH)
phonics in a balanced literacy
Teaching
program
Phonics (Letter Activities: Letter cards, pocket
February 16 (T)
Teaching
Letter Names
and Sounds
Readings Due
Assignments
due
Tompkins Ch. 1
(prepare for Jeopardy
game categories)
RI PreK-12 Literacy
Policy (with Reading
Guide)
Put Reading First
Tompkins, Ch. 4 and
Intro (pp. 103-128)
and Reading Guide
and pp. 443-445
(language experience)
Reading
Guide Due:
Early
Literacy
Tompkins Ch. 5 pp.
142-155 (Phonemic
Awareness)
Sign up for
word study
demonstration
Yopp & Yopp (2000):
Supporting Phonemic
Awareness
Development
Words Their Way
(WTW) Ch. 1 and
Reading Guide
PA Chart for
Group
Activity
Study for Quiz #1 (on
Tuesday, Feb. 16)
WTW, Ch. 4
(Emergent Stage)
5
Name Spelling)
Date/Topic
February 23 (T)
Teaching
Phonics and
Within Word
Spelling
charts, word study, decodable texts
Class Activities
Interactive Lecture: Teaching
phonics continued
Activity: Digraph, blends, and
vowel pattern jingles
February 25 (TH) Interactive Lecture: Storytelling,
Storybook
retelling and text talks
Reading
Activities: Generating Open and
closed questions
Directions Text Talk
March 2 (T)
Interactive Lecture: Word Study,
Sight word
Sight Words, and Fluency
recognition and Activities: Making Words and
fluency
Word Walls
March 4 (TH)
Developing
literacy lesson
plans
March 9 (T)
Spelling
Development
March 11 (TH)
Spelling
Assessment &
Instructional
Grouping
March 16 (T)
Reading
Fluency
March 18 (TH)
Choosing
Books and
Leveled Text
Systems
Interactive Lecture: Planning
before, during, after reading
Directions: Lesson Plan
Readings Due
Tompkins, Ch. 5,
pp. 155-end;
WTW, Ch. 5 (Letter
Name-Alphabet
Stage)
WTW, Ch. 6 (Within
Words)
Beck & McKeown
Text Talk
Reading Guide:
Tompkins Ch. 6,
pp. 447-448
(making words); pp.
476-479 (word
sorts & word walls);
WTW Ch. 3
Tompkins, Ch. 2
Zucker & Invernizzi
(2008) E-sorts
Interactive Lecture: Spelling
Development and instruction
Activity: Word sorting and
Determining stages of spelling
development
Interactive Lecture: Spelling
assessment and grouping
Activity: Spelling inventories and
classroom profiles
WTW, Ch. 2
(Spelling Assess),
Tompkins Ch 4 (p.
128-end), p. 178180
Bring completed
spelling inventory
to class
QUIZ #2
Interactive Lecture: Reading
fluency (choral reading, repeated
reading, activity ideas)
Griffith and
Rasinski (2004):
Fluency Article &
Tompkins pp. 469470 choral reading
Leveled Reading
Systems Handout
& Tompkins p. 305311
Interactive Lecture: Text leveling
systems
Activity: Explore books and
leveling systems
Assignments
due
Reading Guide
Due: Word
recognition
Photo Journal
Due
Give elementary
spelling
inventory (p.
270 WTW) to
child or group,
bring to class 3
copies on 3/11
(FIRST name
only!)
Text Talk
Element for
Lesson Plan
due
MARCH 23 & 25, NO CLASS, SPRING BREAK
6
Date/Topic
Class Activities
March 30 (T)
Assessing Oral
Reading with
Run. Records
April 1 Running
Records (con’t)
Interactive Lecture: Running
Records
Activity: Taking a running record
April 6 (T)
Grouping for
Instruction
Interactive Lecture: Grouping for
Instruction: Shared, guided,
repeated and independent
reading;
Activity: Share photo journals
April 8 (TH)
Literacy
Centers and
Classroom
Management
Directions: Literacy Center
Interactive Lecture: Creating
environmental scaffolds for
learning, organizing materials
Activity: Share more photo
journals
Interactive Lecture: Helping
students expand vocabulary
Activity: Choosing words and
creating student-friendly
definitions
April 13 (T)
Expanding
Vocabulary
April 15 (TH)
Vocabulary
Games &
Activities
April 20 (T)
Scaffolding
Reading
Comprehension
Activity: Analyzing a running
record
Activity: Introducing and
interacting with new vocabulary
instruction
Activity: Vocabulary games and
activities
Interactive Lecture: Cueing
systems and strategy prompts to
foster meaning-making;
Activity: Making inferences
April 22 (TH)
Literacy Centers
Literacy Center Day 1
April 27 (T)
Semester
Review
April 29 (TH)
Short Quiz #3
Activity: Review for the Final
Literacy Center Day 2
Readings Due
Tompkins, Ch. 3
(pp. 70-88)
and pp. 463-464
(running records)
Tompkins Ch. 3 (pp.
88-101)
Tompkins, Ch. 4, pp.
128-141, and p. 437
(guided reading), p.
465-466 (shared
reading), p. 457-59
(reader’s theatre), p.
471-472 (SSR);
Reading Guide:
* Tompkins 142-145
* Flood & Lapp:
Flexible Grouping
* Ford & Optiz:
Literacy Centers
Beck & McKeown
(Direct & Rich
Vocab Instruction);
Tompkins, Ch. 7 and
pp. 464-465
(semantic feature
analysis)
Key features of
WTW Ch. 7;
WTW Ch. 8 &
Tompkins 201-206
Assignments
due
Word study
element for
lesson plan due
Reading Guide
Due:
Organizing
Literacy
Instruction
Outline for
Literacy Center
Due
Lesson Plan
Due
* Thacker: Three
cueing systems
* Tompkins p. 12-15
* Making Inferences
about Characters &
Inferences Video
Literacy Center
Due
Literacy Center
7
Literacy Centers
May 6 (TH)
Due
FINAL EXAM 8AM-11AM
8