Elementary Reading & Literacy, K-6

This course examines formal and informal literacy assessments; identifies appropriate strategies for remediation of reading disabilities; and plans differentiated instructional methods with emphasis on phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. This course also develops a comprehensive assessment vocabulary in order to administer, interpret, and evaluate assessment instruments. Field experience and a case study component will demonstrate integration of course knowledge and classroom practices.

This course focuses on ways to integrate effective reading strategies into all subject areas of the curriculum. Participants learn strategies for supporting the comprehension of nonfiction texts and the development of content-area vocabulary, as well as motivational techniques for reluctant learners.

This course focuses on the writing process and its role in literacy development. As students become fluent readers, they need to balance their literacy time with various types of writing. Participants apply research-based instructional strategies to integrate writing into all subject areas. Specific techniques such as mini-lessons, error analysis, conferencing and using portfolios are addressed. Each step of the writing process is examined as participants design units of study for their teaching practice.