LTCY 320-002
The Teaching of Reading in
the Elementary School
Western Kentucky University
Fall 2009
Instructor: Mrs. Cassie
Zippay Office:
Tate Page Hall 349
Office phone:
270-745-2679
Email: cassie.zippay@wku.edu
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 10:25 a.m. - 11:25
a.m. (Central) and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Central), and by
appointment
Electronic Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00 a.m. - 9:00
a.m. (Central)
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE FOR LTCY 320:
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Course Description: An introduction to reading instruction for primary and middle grade children; includes an examination of reading needs, teaching methods, materials, and resources related to reading skills development. Field experiences in public schools and/or other appropriate settings away from campus are required in this course. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to designated or assigned sites.
Rationale: This course will provide elementary education majors with an introduction to reading and writing concepts appropriate for primary and middle grade children. The content will include exposure to teaching methods, materials, and resources necessary to effectively teach reading and writing to all students.
Prerequisites: ELED 250, PSY 310
Textbooks:
Flint, A.S. (2008). Literate Lives: Teaching Reading &
Writing in Elementary Classrooms.
Publisher: Wiley/Jossey-Bass Education
ISBN: 978-0-471-65298-4
Farmer, N. (2002). The House of the Scorpion. New
York: Simon Pulse.
ISBN: 0-689-85223-1
Course Objectives and Assessment
ELED
Core Objectives
MGE Core
Objectives
Supporting
Objectives
Course Topics:
Overview of Reading
Process
Writing Process
Vocabulary
Word Identification
Literature Response
Activities
Assessment
Technology
Overview of the course
Task 1: Field Experience (10 hours)
Requirements for Field Experience: Criminal background
check, physical, and TB test
These must be on file with the Office of Teacher Services, Tate
Page Hall 408, before you can begin your field experience.
a. Me Box
b. Interest Inventory and read aloud
c. Handwriting
d. Examining the Literacy Environment - Learning Log
e. Designing and Implementing Literacy Instruction (DRTA)
Task 2: Connecting Literacy and
Literature
a. Reflection journal
b. Literature Circles and reader response journal
c. Critical review of a quality children's book
Task 3: Synthesizing Literacy Best
Practices
a. Comprehension strategies
b. Learning log
c. Phonics activity
Task 4: Examinations
a. midterm
b. final
Class Participation
Professionalism
Policies and Procedures
Attendance and Assignments:
Class attendance and active participation is expected. If
you miss a class you are responsible for all work missed.
On a regular basis, points will be given for in class
assignments/activities. These might include exit slips, graphic
organizers, group activities, quickwrites, etc. If you are
absent, these assignments/activities cannot be made up.
To receive a final grade in LTCY 320 you must complete all components of the field experience and related assignments required for the course AND you must upload all critical performances to the Electronic Portfolio.
The previously-stated policy on late work applies even in circumstances when the student is given an incomplete ("X") for failure to upload an assignment to the Electronic Portfolio System. Students requesting an incomplete for another reason must contact the instructor to ask for an incomplete, which may or may not be granted, depending on the instructor's judgment regarding the circumstances of the student's request. According to the catalog on Undergraduate Catalog p.28/Graduate Catalog, p.13, "A grade of ‘X’ (incomplete) is given only when a relatively small amount of work is not completed because of illness or other reason satisfactory to the instructor. "An ‘X’ received by a student will automatically become an "F" unless removed within twelve (12) weeks of the next full term (summer excluded).The grade of ‘X’ will continue to appear as the initial grade on the student’s transcript, along with the revised grade.
Evaluation and Grade Assignment:
Assessment will include written assignments, cognitive tests,
performance events, and evaluation of student plans for reading
instruction. The student must achieve minimum competency,
otherwise the course must be repeated. All assignments will
be graded for correct spelling and grammar, as well as
content. Rubrics are included for each assignment. Specific
guidelines for each assignment will be given as the assignments
are introduced.
Final grades for LTCY 320 will be based on a 575 point scale:
Grade
Percentages
Points
A
93-100
535-575
B
85-92.9
489-534
C
77-84.9 443-488
D
70-76.9 402-442
F
69 or
less
401 or less
Assignments:
Late assignments will be penalized 10% of their possible point
value if submitted within one week of their due date. Further
penalties will be assessed for assignments turned in beyond that
point. This policy is instituted primarily to prevent
students from becoming overloaded at the end of the semester.
It is expected that you will read and reflect on required
readings prior to each specified class session. Selected
course readings will help you develop the knowledge and
theoretical base needed for teaching diverse learners in a
reading/language arts classroom.
Keep a copy of all assignments. If an assignment is lost,
the burden to replace it in a timely manner rests with you.
All work must be typed unless otherwise noted. Word processing must be done either in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or in .rtf (rich text format). NO "Works" files - those files cannot be opened in the Electronic Portfolio, Blackboard, and my computers. Please use the following format for all typed work (unless otherwise noted):
Plagiarism Policy:
To represent ideas or interpretations taken from another
source as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious
offense. The academic work of students must be their own.
Students must give the author(s) credit for any source material
used. To lift content directly from a source without giving
credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage after
having changed a few words, even if the source is cited, is also
plagiarism.
Do not turn in work to me that you copied from someone else, that belongs to someone else, or that you did not personally write every word of yourself. With past literature units and other materials from LTCY 320 posted on the Internet the temptation might be for you to "borrow" some of the writing and present it as your own. I urge you to resist that temptation. No plagiarism or cheating will be tolerated.
For
information about plagiarism: what it is and how to recognize it
and avoid it, see
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html
http://www.pampetty.com/plagiarism.htm
Disability Accommodations Statement:
In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities
who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary
aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for
Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student Success
Center in Downing University Center. Please do notrequest
accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without
a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability
Services.
The Learning Center
The Learning Center (DUC A330) provides free
supplemental education programs for all currently enrolled WKU
students. TLC at DUC offers CRLA Certified, one-on-one
tutoring in over 100 general education subjects by appointment or
walk in and hosts a branch of the English Department's Writing
Center. TLC is a also a quiet study area, with side rooms
designated for peer to peer tutoring and offers a thirty two
machine computer lab. Additionally, TLC has two satellite
locations, one each in Douglas Keen Hall and in Pearce Ford Tower
that provide computer and print service, tutoring, and quiet
study areas. For more information, or to schedule a tutoring
appointment, please call TLC at (270) 745 - 6254 or log on to our
website at www.wku.edu/tlc.
Hours: TLC at DUC: Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm; Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm; Sunday 4:00pm - 9:00pm
TLC at Keen/PFT: Sunday - Thursday 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Course Requirements and Evaluation: (click
on each assignment for details and resources)
TASK 1: Field Experience (10
hours)
A minimum of ten (10) hours of school-based practical field
experiences is required for the course. You are required to
be in your assigned classroom under the assigned teacher's
supervision for at least ten hours. If you miss any time in
the field you must make that time up by planning an alternative
time with your teacher. I have to receive written notification
from you (email is fine) that you have made up the time. Any
falsification of field time will endanger your continuance in
this course and possibly your program of study at WKU.
Here are recommendations and suggestions for making visits.
You are required to complete the time schedule/log documenting your work and time in the classroom. This form is to be signed by the teacher at the conclusion of each session. In addition the teacher must submit a written evaluation assessing your work and performance in the elementary classroom. In addition, you will have three (3) required assignments to complete during the classroom field experiences. Specific directions, requirements, and assessment procedures for each of the two assignments will be provided by the instructor. Go to Blackboard (Course Documents) to print out the cover letter you will need for your field experience. This letter should be given to your teacher.
a. Me Box (25 points)
In any field-based experience, we must be prepared to introduce
ourselves to our students. To help "smooth" the
process of introductions it is helpful to have a plan or strategy
that is fun and helps everyone relax. "Me Boxes"
consist of a decorated box (or facsimile thereof) in which you
have collected items that tell something about you that might be
appropriate and of interest to your students. You will use your
Me Box to introduce yourself to college classmates and to
introduce yourself to the students in your field experience
classroom.
b. Interest
Inventory, Bibliography, and Read Aloud (50 points)
The purpose of this assignment is to provide LTCY 320 students
with experience in selecting and involving elementary students in
appropriate quality children's literature as part of a balanced
reading instructional program. Components of this requirement
include: administering an interest inventory to students,
creating a ten-book annotated bibliography based upon results of
the interest inventory, and selecting a book from the
bibliography to read aloud to your field experience students. You
may also choose additional books from your bibliography to
fulfill other requirements (DRTA, critical reading) for this
class.
c. The Handwriting Assessment (both manuscript and cursive) for LTCY 320 will be pass/fail. Links provided on the Handwriting Assessment page contain practice sheets and instruction on the formation of letters for both Zaner-Bloser and D'Nealian handwriting as well as additional details about this assessment.
d. Learning Log (40
points)
The purpose of these assignments is to provide LTCY 320 students
with an opportunity to observe and interview children and
teachers as they engage in literacy events and note
distinguishing features of the literacy environment.
e. Designing and
Implementing Literacy Instruction (DRTA) (50 points)
The purpose of this assignment is to provide LTCY 320 students
with an opportunity to plan and teach a reading lesson using an
appropriate text or trade book encompassing a variety of genre of
literature.
TASK 2: Connecting Literacy and Literature
a. Reflection
journal (40 points)
Part of the challenge of teaching young children to read is
understanding what the process of becoming literate is
like. By reflecting on your own early literacy experiences
as well as other related topics, you may be able to relate better
to children as they learn to read and write. Research indicates
that effective reading teachers are highly reflective. Keeping a
reflection journal will provide you with opportunities to form
the habit of becoming a reflective thinker.
b. Literature Circles (culminating project - 20 points
and reader response journal - 30 points)
An effective way to flexibly group students, provide for student
choice in reading, and encourage quality discussion of literature
is through literature circles. In order for students to develop a
deep understanding of this strategy, members of the class will
engage in their own literature circles with the young adult
novel, The House of Scorpions by Nancy Farmer. Circles
will meet weekly as noted on the course calendar, keep a reader response journal,
and create a group culminating project.
c. Critical
Evaluation of a Quality Children's Book (20 points)
The purpose of this task is to increase your skills in reading
critically. Teachers of reading must be able to look
critically at literature in order to plan appropriate instruction
and help students appreciate quality writing. This is an
assignment that will be done in class on the day noted on the
course calendar. It will be a small group activity with students
doing their own individual write ups. If you are absent, you must
do the assignment on your own, and you are responsible for
finding out the book titles used in class.
TASK 3: Synthesizing Literacy Best Practices
a. Comprehension Strategies (100 points)
This assignment provides students with comprehension strategies
to use with each chapter in our text. In addition to helping
you understand the content of the reading, you will also be
introduced to a number of effective comprehension strategies that
you can use in your future classroom. As you read the assigned
chapters in the text, follow the directions for creating the
corresponding comprehension strategy to help you understand the
chapter content. The comprehension strategies are links on the
course calendar. Click on the link (or additional links) and read
about how to use the strategy. In some instances, a printable
form for you to use will be included; other times, you will have
to make your own form or strategy. You may turn any of the
comprehension strategies in handwritten. You are required to do
ten (10) strategies; however, there are actually eleven (11)
strategies-- one for each chapter reading assignment. Doing all
eleven (11) strategies can earn you additional points. To make
this a useful tool, you might want to print out information from
the links on the course calendar and include your own copy of the
comprehension strategy in a folder for future reference. The rubric for these
assignments is linked here.
b. Learning Log (see Task 1d above)
c. Phonics
"Phair" (25 points)
As part of teaching reading teachers must be able to provide
sound word recognition skills and strategies. This includes
a thorough understanding of the terminology and concepts related
to phonics instruction. This assignment allows you to
develop a hands-on phonics activities (game format) that can be
used in future courses, student teaching and in your
classroom. The "phair" format will allow
participants to share their activity with colleagues, and at the
conclusion of the "phair," each participant will leave
with numerous phonics activities for classroom use.
TASK 4: EXAMINATIONS
a. Midterm (50 points)
The midterm exam will cover approximately 1/2 the content of this
course. Specific chapters and dates will be announced in
class and dependent upon our progress.
b. Final (50 points)
The final exam will be comprehensive with more emphasis placed on
material covered since the midterm exam. Specific
information will be announced in class.
Professionalism 25 points
Professionalism is an important requirement
for all teachers. It is usually demonstrated by a set of
behaviors which indicate your commitment to your
profession. Those behaviors will be expected during this
class.
Class Participation (50 points)
On a regular basis, points will be given for in class
assignments/activities. These might include exit slips, graphic
organizers, group activities, quickwrites, etc. If you are
absent, these assignments/activities cannot be made up.
Supplementary Resources
Books:
Book Recommendations: http://edtech.tph.wku.edu/~ppetty/books.htm
Adams, M.J. (1990). Beginning
to read: Thinking and learning about print.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Allington, R.L., & Walmsley,
S.A. (1995). No quick fix. New York, NY:
Teacher's College Press.
Aston-Warner, S. (1963).
Teacher. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster, Inc.
Atwell, N. (1987). In the
middle: Writing, reading, and learning with
adolescents. Montclair, NJ: Boynton/Cook.
Calkins, L. (1994). The art
of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Cambourne, B. (1988). The
whole story: Natural learning and the acquisition of
literacy in the classroom. NY:
Scholastic.
Cunningham, P.M. (1991).
Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing.
NY: Harper-Collins.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other
people's children: Cultural conflict in the
classroom. NY: New Press.
Dyson, A.H. (1989). Multiple
worlds of child writers: Friends learning to write.
NY: Teacher's College Press.
Harste, J.C., & Woodward, V, &
Burke, C. (1984). Language stories and literacy
lessons. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Henderson, E. (1990).
Teaching spelling (2nd Ed.). Boston:
Houghton-Mifflin.
Holdaway, D. (1979).
Foundations of literacy. Sydney: Ashton-Scholastic.
Jacobs, J.S., & Tunnell,
M.O. (1996). Children's literature, briefly.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
Kobrin, B. (1988).
Eyeopeners! New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Meltzer, M. (1994).
Nonfiction for the classroom: Milton Meltzer on writing,
history and social responsibility. NY:
Teacher's College Press.
Routman, R. (1991).
Invitations: Changing as teachers and learners.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Journals (Approved journals to use for selecting articles
for article critiques):
Elementary School
Journal Reading Research Quarterly
Language Arts
The Journal for Adolescent and Adult
Literacy
Reading Improvement
The Journal for Literacy Research
Journal of Reading Behavior
The Reading Teacher
Phi Delta Kappan
Harvard Educational Review
Reading Psychology
Journal of Negro Education
Reading Research and Instruction
Reading Horizons
Educational Researcher
Website Addresses:
Teacher-oriented sites:
Kentucky Department of Education: http://www.kde.state.ky.us
International Reading Association: http://www.reading.org
Children's Literature Web Guide: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English,
& Communication: http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/index.html
Booklist(reviews): http://www.ala.org/booklist/
Pam Petty's Educational Websites: http://www.pampetty.com
Child-oriented sites:
Kids on the Web:
http://www.zen.org/~brendan/kids.html
Jan Brett's Home Page:
http://www.janbrett.com
Ann Arbor District Library Kids' Page: http://www.annarbor.lib.mi.us/kidspg/kidspg2.htm