EDRG 4020 Home Page

EDRG 4020 Reading Comprehension
3 Credit Hours; revised 1/14/2009

Instructor: Dr. David Lund	Phone: 435-865-8134
Office: ED 303	Fax: 435-865-8532
Office Hours: M-Th 9-11 a.m. or by appointment	E-Mail: lundd@suu.edu
Credit Hours: 3	Course Fee: $10.00
Personal Web Page: http://www.suu.edu/faculty/lundd

Course Description: Teacher candidates learn how to assist readers to construct meaning as they read both narrative and expository text. Comprehension theories are taught in relation to best practices for enhancing reading and writing. Prerequisites: EDRG 3520, EDRG 4010, EDRG 4040.

Comments: Because the popular media and educational policy makers often seem preoccupied with issues related to word identification, the importance of comprehension can be easily overlooked. A growing body of research suggests how teachers can effectively teach students to combine their personal knowledge and experience with print information to construct meaning as they read. Instructional strategies such as activating students' background knowledge, connecting vocabulary, teaching students to recognize text structures along with the common strategies of summarizing, clarifying, questioning, predicting, and evaluating can help students become independent navigators of text. These strategies also help build engagement and motivation for reading.

Basic Goals:

Present and utilize comprehension strategies that will assist students in understanding narrative and expository print.

Plan lessons that reflect the detailed learning and differentiate the plans to address diverse learners.

Practice teaching comprehension strategies to their peers and students in the public schools.

Investigate professional journals, select appropriate articles, both research and practitioner based, summarize their information and reflect upon what was learned.

Practice assessing comprehension using informal measures, evaluate the responses and determine needs based on the experience.

Determine practitioner-based practices of comprehension instruction and assessment by interviewing a practitioner and collecting evidence of practices/strategies in current use.

In a cooperative learning group, using both technology and literature, create an inquiry lesson or unit for students that employs comprehension, critical and creative thinking and problem solving.

Compile evidence of inquiry, assessments and needs, strategies and practices in one source.

Required Texts:

Keene, E. O.& Zimmermann, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: The power of comprehension strategy instruction (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. ISBN: 978-0-325-01035-9

Holm, A. (1965). I am David. New York, NY: Harcourt. ISBN: 0-15-205160-0

Reference Texts:

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension. York, ME: Stenhouse.

Block, C. C. (2004). Teaching Comprehension: The Comprehension Process Approach. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Tentative Schedule:

Week	Topic	Reading (before class)	Assignment
1	Introduction
2	Introduction continued
3	Introduction continued	Mosaics C 1	Literature circle assignment
4	Curriculum and the Comprenhension Process Approach	Mosaics C 1, I am	Literature circle assignment
5	Student Responsibilities	Mosaics C 2, I am David C 1	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
6	Literal Understanding	Mosaics C 3, I am David C4	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
7	Inference, Prediction, Interpretation	Mosaics C 4, I am David C 3	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
8	Imagery, New Words	Mosaics C 5, I am David C 4	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
9	Metacognition	Mosaics C 6, I am David C 5	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
10	Content Comprehension	Mosaics C 7, I am David C 6	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
11	Technological Comprehension	Mosaics C 8, I am David C 7	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
12	Assessment of Comprehension	Mosaics C 9, I am David C 8	Literature circle assignment, I am David packet assignment
13	Wrap-up loose ends	Mosaics C Epilogue	Literature circle assignment
14			Article critique, Strategy mini-lessons
15			Inquiry unit, Strategy mini-lessons
Final			Final Exam

Assignments/Accountability/Artifacts

1. Participation & Attendance: 150 points. Actively participate in class discussions, and/or field experiences as assigned, demonstrating knowledge and teaching effectiveness for comperehension. (Online/Independent Study students will write and email the instructor a 1.5-2 page summary of each Chapter and the epilogue in the Keene & Zimmerman text [10 summaries] and write a 2-3 page paper explaining the difference between the movie and the book - Holes or I am David, whichever one was chosen for assignment 7)

2. One Article Response: 30 points. Your response should include the following: Full bibliographical citation-5 pts., a brief summary of the article-5 pts., a brief discussion of the validity of the article (Did the author/s support his/her/their points with research and/or examples from classrooms?)-5 pts., Do you agree with the author/s? & Why or why not?-5 pts., and How will the information from the article affect your future teaching?-5 pts. **This article review might be placed in your e-portfolio under INTASC Standard 1: Content Knowledge

3. Strategy Presentation: 20 points. Apply, demonstrate, and present a comprehension strategy mini-lesson that was or can be utilized in a classroom. Tie it to a specific text and teach your peers or a group of students how to use the strategy with the chosen text.

4. Inquiry Unit: 50 points. Create an Inquiry-Based Unit (could be a WebQuest) of Instruction for integrated literacy instruction, including basics from at least one of the content areas--math, social studies, science, language arts, or the arts to be infused into the instructional unit. Also include a description of how the environmental setting is created or imitated, and describe the stimulus for inquiry and why you chose that particular one.

5. Chart/Poster: 20 points. Create, at least, one comprehension chart or poster that can be used in the classroom. This chart can complement your strategy presentation or support your Inquiry Unit. It may be created using PowerPoint or Inspiration software and turned in on disc or via email.

6. Participate in a literature circle/book club experience with the Keene & Zimmerman Text: 150 points. After being assigned literature circle roles for each chapter of the Keene & Zimmerman text, participate in the large group literature circle for that chapter. At the end of the session, open the discussion up to the class to add their impressions of the chapter. (15 points for each chapter--5 for the completed literature circle paper, 10 for participating in the discussion.) Download full document here.

7. Class Book/Movie Activities: 130 points. (Specific activities will be provided in written form for online students and will all be related to the book Holes, by Louis Sachar [packet for Holes] or I am David by Anne Holm [packet for I am David].)

8. Final Examination: 150 pts. Each individual must take the final examination. It will be online and accessible via eLearning during the Final Examination scheduled time for the class only! It is open book!

700 points total

Grading: Grades will be calculated as follows based on evidence of actively constructing meaning:

Grades will be assigned as follows: 95% & Up, A; 90-94.99%, A-; 87-89.99%, B+; 83-86.99%, B; 80-82.99%, B-; 77-79.99%, C+; 73-76.99%, C; 70%, C-; Below 70%, Try again.

TO EARN A GRADE FOR THE COURSE, ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED WITH A SCORE OF 50 PER CENT OR ABOVE. IF ANY ASSIGNMENTS REMAIN INCOMPLETE, A GRADE OF INCOMPLETE WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE COURSE. IT WILL BE CHANGED WHEN ALL COURSE WORK IS SATISFACTORALLY COMPLETED; OR TO AN F AFTER ONE YEAR. THE BEST TEACHERS ARE FINISHERS.

Late work will receive an automatic 50% reduction for one week after it is due; after that it will receive no grade.

Academic integrity policy: Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding student responsibilities and rights, and the intellectual property policy, for information about procedures and about what constitutes acceptable on-campus behavior.

ADA Statement:

Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids must contact the Office for Students with Disabilities. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of these services and aids.

Blachowicz, C., & Fisher, P. (1996). Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.

Cooper, J. D. (2000). Literacy: Helping children construct meaning (4th ed.). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Flynt, E. S., & Cooter, R. B. Jr. (2001). Flynt-Cooter Reading Inventory for the Classroom (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Fox, B. J. (1996). Strategies for word identification: Phonics from a new perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.

Gipe, J. P. (1995). Corrective reading techniques (3rd ed.). Scottsdale, AZ: Gorsuch Scarisbrick.

Gunning, T. G. (2000). Creating reading instruction for all children (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1989). Language, context, and text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.

Holdaway, D. (1979). Foundations of literacy. Sydney, Australia: Ashton Scholastic.

Moore, D. W., Moore, S. A., Cunningham, P. M., & Cunningham, J. W. (1998). Developing readers & writers in the content areas K-12 (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

Ruddell, R. B., Ruddell, M. R, & Singer, H. (Eds.), 1994. Theoretical models and processes of reading (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Salinger, T. S. (1996). Literacy for young children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.

Additional information can be found in the following major journals: The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (formerly Journal of Reading), Modern Language Journal, English Journal, Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Reading Behavior, Language Learning, English Language Teaching Journal, Journal of Verbal Learning/Behavior, System, and American Education Research Journal. (Other journals associated with reading are also useful.)