EDU 527: Literacy I

Overview

This course is a foundation and application of scientifically based methods and strategies for best practices in teaching the five components of reading: comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, phonemic awareness, and decoding/phonics. Additionally, methods for teaching oral and written language skills, which are an integral part of language literacy and acquisition, are covered.

Theories from both first- and second-language acquisition will be discussed to meet the needs and demands of the modern classroom. The course presents current philosophies and methods on teaching writing and reading to emerging language learners. The course includes a review of materials, strategies for teaching reading and writing skills, and important considerations for reading and field-based assignments.

The primary goal of this course is to build a cohesive bridge from educational theory to teaching strategies that can be applied in a variety of classroom settings. The objective is to assist the educator to move from theory to practice, or to enhance present knowledge in reference to this process. Content of the course includes teaching models, teaching strategies and approaches, and the application of personal and cognitive developmental theories. Also, the course allows candidates to implement curriculum they design by integrating assessment and feedback with the intent of enhancing all candidates’ learning.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply research that supports current views of best practices regarding children’s acquisition of literacy through phonology.
• Design instruction based upon the Colorado Model Content Standards in reading and writing.
• Integrate processes and factors of literacy development and effective strategies to promote literacy acquisition through an understanding of orthography and morphology.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how reading and writing are reciprocal, comprehension-building, problem-solving processes through lesson planning and implementation.
• Identify the use of phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonemic segmentation as critical components of language development and literacy.
• Effectively examine factors involved in vocabulary development.
• Integrate vocabulary development and word identification strategies and techniques in literacy lessons.
• Incorporate and apply criteria for the phases of process writing.
• Develop effective lessons that facilitate candidate learning, understanding, and ability with process writing and literacy activities.
• Design and implement literacy lessons that target specific components of effective literacy programs via the field experience.

Required Texts
EDU 527 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore