Utah State Office of Education

Reading Teacher Endorsement Course Framework

 

READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION

 

 

Graduate Course Number,  Reading Comprehension Instruction ( _ credits)

Instructor:

 

Catalogue Description

MEDUC----.  Reading Comprehension Instruction.  An exploration of current research theories and their pedagogical implications related to teaching vocabulary, reading comprehension, and metacognition. This course is required for the Reading Teacher Endorsement.  Prerequisite: Teaching License.

 

Course Description:  Reading Comprehension Instruction, MEDUC ----, -- credits

The purpose of the class is to provide a summary of current theories and models that impact reading comprehension.  There is a growing body of research that suggests how readers construct meaning and how teachers can effectively teach students to foster comprehension.  This class also focuses on how curriculum, curriculum integration, and motivational strategies augment strategy instruction to enhance student achievement.

 

Course Outcomes:

 

 

Course Outcomes:

See Standards:

1.         Understand the current theoretical base on practices and research findings addressing reading comprehension

2.5 and 2.8

2.         Understand research-based theories and/or perspectives on comprehension.

1.5, 14.1, and 16.1

3.         Understand the personal, cognitive, social, textual, instructional, and cultural contexts that influence reading comprehension.

2.9, 3.1, 3.2, and 5.2

4.         Plan and implement instructional strategies for increasing comprehension, including motivation and self regulation.

2.6, 5.3, 5.4, 6.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and 8.4

5.         Articulate to colleagues strategies for the improvement of reading comprehension.

11.2, 11.4, and 11.5,

6.         Self-evaluate your new ability to integrate and transform previous beliefs and practices in teaching reading comprehension.

7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 16.1, and 16.2

 

           

 

Suggested Text:

Block, C. C., & Pressley, M.  (2002).  Comprehension instruction.  New York: The Guilford Press.

 

 

Suggested Course Topics:

1.  Historical overview of important issues related to comprehension instruction

 

2.  Current research and theory

 

3.  Dimensions of comprehension (examples)

Explicit/implicit instruction

Single/multiple strategy instruction

Vocabulary

Fluency

Metacognition

Mental imagery

Text Structure: Narrative/Expository

Questioning:  Generation and Answering

Prior knowledge/schema theory

Study strategies and fix-up strategies

Motivating and engaging learners

Graphic organizers

            Study strategies

            Cultural Diversity

 

4.  Instructional Frameworks

            Traditional approaches (e.g., DRA, DRTA, Guided reading) for promoting comprehension

            Explicit/transactional and Implicit instruction

            Basic strategies (e.g., summarizing, main idea, inferencing, think-alouds, self-questioning                and monitoring)

            Basic methods (e.g., scaffolding, Reciprocal Teaching, Questioning-the-Author)

            Motivation and self-regulation      

            CORI

            Teacher Procedures/Routines

 

Schedule:

 

Suggested Assignments:

Select one of the topics listed below for a class presentation.  You will have approximately half a class meeting to present. The instructor will arrange the topics so that our learning is cohesive. Each member of the class must be a major contributor. Pick something you are interested in and want to know more about.  (Please do not pick a topic that you already know the world about or strategies that you regularly use in your classroom.)  We will discuss your topics so that we have a balanced list.

 

 

Possible Topics:

1.  Explicit/implicit instruction (Ch. 3, B&P)

 

2.  Single strategy instruction (Ch. 2, B& P)

 

3.  Multiple strategy instruction (Ch. 12 and 22, B & P)

 

4.  Vocabulary (15 ?, 5?)

            nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/report.htm

 

5.  Fluency

            nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/report.htm

 

6.  Metacognition (Ch 6, B&P)

            Mental imagery (Ch 20, B&P)

 

7.  Text Structure (Ch. 17 & 19, B&P)

 

8.  Questioning: (B & P 194-196 lists some possible sources)

            Generation

            Answering

 

9.  Prior knowledge/schema theory (Ch 11, B&P)

 

10.  Study strategies and fix-up strategies

 

11.  Motivating and engaging learners http://www,readingonline.org/articles/handbook/guthrie/index.html

 

12.  Graphic organizers     

 

Please use the following framework for your presentation:

 

            1.  Lead discussion on the assigned chapter(s) on your topic.  Your classmates will have read the                    chapter(s), material, so they are prepared to take part in the discussion.

            2.  Present additional materials you have found in your research

            3.  Strategies that grow out of the topic

            4.  Application: Strategy lesson (one strategy)

                        a) Context

                        b) Lesson description as you presented it in a class

                        c) Results

                        d) Changes you would make the next time

            5.  Prepare handout for your instructor and your classmates.

 

 

 

Grades:

The course follows the University grading system: A, A-, B+, etc. Incomplete grades will only be given for legitimate reasons such as severe illness or family crisis.

           

Ethics:

Failure to maintain academic ethics/academic honesty including the avoidance of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and falsification will result in an E in the course, and may result in charges being issued, hearings being held and/or sanctions being imposed.

 

Bibliography

 

Primary Readings

Block, C.C., &  Gambrell, L.  (2002).  Improving comprehension instruction.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Block, C. C., & Pressley, M.  (2002).  Comprehension instruction.  New York: The Guilford Press.

 

Chi, M.T.H., DeLeeuw, N., Chiu, M., & LaVancher, C. (1994).  Eliciting self-explanations             improves understanding.  Cognitive Science, 18, 439-477.

 

Dole, J. (2000).  Explicit and implicit instruction in comprehension.  In B.M. Taylor, M. F.   Graves, & P. VanDen Broek (Eds.). Reading for meaning: Fostering comprehension in the middle           grades.  (pp 52-69).  New York: Teachers College Press and Newark, DE:        International Reading Association.

 

Dole, J., Duffy, G., Roehler, L., & Pearson, P.D.  (1991).  Moving from the old to the new:         Research on reading comprehension instruction.  Review of Educational Research, 61,            239-264.

 

Dowhower, S.  Supporting a strategic stance in the classroom: A comprehension framework for helping teachers help students to be strategic.  The Reading Teacher, 52, 672-683.

 

Durkin, D. (1979).  What classroom observations reveal about reading comprehension.  Reading            Research Quarterly, 15, 481-533.

 

Farstrup, A.E., & Samuels, S. J., Eds. (2002).  What research has to say about reading          instruction.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Guthrie, J. T., & Alvermann, D.E. (1999).  Engaged reading: Processes, practices, and policy           implications.  NY: Teachers College Press.

 

Guthrie, J., & Wigfield, A. (1997), Reading engagement: Motivating readers through integrated   instruction.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Kamil, M. L. , Mosenthal, P. B., Pearson, P.D., & Barr, R. (Eds.) (2000).  Handbook of            reading research: Volume III.  Mahwah, NJ: Earlbaum.

 

McNamera & Kintsch. (1996).  Learning from texts: Effects of Prior knowledge and text          coherence.  Discourse Processes, 22, 247-288.

 

National Reading Panel. (2001).  Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read.             Washington, D. C.:  U. S, Department of Health and Human Services.              http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/findings.htm

 

Pressley, M. (2001).  Comprehension instruction: What makes sense now, what might make sense    soon.  http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/pressley/index.html

 

RAND Reading Study Group. (2002).  Reading for understanding.  Toward a research and development program in reading comprehension.  Washington, D.C.:  Office of Educational Research and Improvement.  (Available from IRA.)

 

Rand Report.  www.rand.org/multi/achievementforall/reading/readreport.html

 

Secondary Readings

Blachowicz, C., & Ogle, D.  (2001).  Reading comprehension: Strategies for independent             learners.  New York: The Guilford Press.

 

Britton, B., & Graesser, A.  (1996).  Models of understanding text.  Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

 

Graesser, A., Millis, K., & Zwann. R.  (1997).  Discourse comprehension.  Annual Review of    Psychology, 48, 163-189.

 

Nagy, W. E. (1988).  Teaching vocabulary to improve reading comprehension.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Palinscar, A., & Brown, A.  (1984) Reciprocal teaching of comprehension: Fostering and           monitoring activities.  Cognition and Instruction, 1, 117-175.

 

Pearson, P. D., & Johnson, D, D, (1978). Teaching reading comprehension.  New York: Holt,        Rinehart & Winston.

 

Pressley, M. (2002).  Reading instruction that works.  New York: The Guilford Press.

 

Roller, C.M., Ed. (2002).  Comprehensive reading across the grade levels.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Rosenblatt, L.  (1983).  Literature as exploration (4th ed.).  New York: Modern Library.

 

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

 

Teacher Resource Readings

Guthrie, J., & Wigfield, A. (1997) Reading engagement: Motivating readers through integrated   instruction.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

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

 

Keene, E., & Zimmerman, S. (1997).  Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s        workshop.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

 

Langer, J.  (1995).  Envisioning literature.  New York: Teachers College Press.

 

McLaughlin, M. & Allen, M. B. (2002).  Guided comprehension: A teaching model for grades 3-8.  Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 

Swan, E. A. (2003).  Concept-oriented reading instruction.  New York: Guilford Publishing Co.