Donald R. Watson School of Education

Education 584 - Development of Language and Literacy

Spring, 1999

SYLLABUS

Course Description

(Prerequisites: Edn 558 & 569 or permission of instructor; Co-requisite: Edn 585). Course participants will identify literacy beliefs, learn related literacy practices and examine their use in classrooms, review curriculum, and develop a perspective on literacy learning. Students will be engaged in reading and writing workshop events and will be expected to design and implement an action research plan and develop items for the literacy portfolio. 3 credit hours.

Program requirement

This course is a requirement of the graduate reading program at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

Course Goals

  1. Students will identify, explain, and exemplify at least two different belief systems concerning literacy development (K-12) and articulate their own beliefs about literacy development.
  2. Students will understand how curriculum expectations of literacy development have changed over time, and how curriculum sequences and expectations, including the use and availability of technology, affect teaching and learning.
  3. Students will understand theory, pedagogical knowledge, and research supporting instructional practices and materials in the areas of:

a. Emergent literacy

  1. Development of sound-symbol associations, decoding, and word analysis skills
  2. Development of strategic and integrated use of information sources in texts
  3. Development of sight words and word recognition
  4. Spelling development and structural analysis of words
  5. Development of vocabulary knowledge and use
  6. Constructing meaning in narratives
  7. Construction meaning in expository texts
  8. Development of written composition
  9. Reading and writing across the curriculum


  1. Students will understand the rationale and procedures for strategies to accommodate to diverse student abilities, interests and needs in literacy development, including:

a. Establishment of classroom reading and writing workshops

b. Use of instructional and cooperative grouping strategies

c. Strategies for individualizing instruction

d. The role of classroom assessment of literacy development

e. The uses of technology in delivering and monitoring instruction

      1. Evaluation and selection of instructional materials
  1. Students will be able to articulate and cite evidence to support principles for the establishment of strong classroom literacy programs K-12.

Activities and assignments

    1. Attend classes, read reflectively, participate in class discussions as listener and contributor.

2. Be responsible for one area of instruction and lead class discussion of an article that presents and explains instructional theory and procedures in that area.

  1. Collaborate with one other class member to design and present in class two or more demonstration lessons exemplifying one dimension of literacy instruction. This may be a simulation using class members as students, or a video of instruction carried out in an actual classroom.
  2. Write two reflective papers ­ one initial, one at midterm ­ articulating personal beliefs about how reading is learned and how instruction serves to foster literacy development.

Evaluation

Attendance and participation in class discussions * 10%

Role in leading class discussions 5%

Presentation of demonstration lessons 15%

Written reflective papers 30%

Final exam paper 40%

Texts:

Graves, M., Juel, C., & Graves, B. (1998). Teaching Reading in the 21st Century. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Required.

Packet of articles available for purchase in bookstore. Required.

Instructor - Dr. Noel Jones. King 210-D 910-962-3382. E-mail: jonesn@uncwil.edu

Class meetings - King Hall 208 - Thursdays, 6:30 - 9:15 p.m.

Honor Code: Students are required to read and observe the academic Honor Code statement on page 74 of the UNCW Graduate Catalog.

* Attendance: Since discussion and negotiation of meaning plays such an important role in learning in this class, attendance is very important. One excused absence may be permitted. For two absences, grade will be lowered by 5%. For three absences, grade will be lowered by 10%. More than three absences will result in a failing grade.

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