University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

RDGED 705 Instructional Techniques For Assisting Students with Reading Difficulties

Online Course 3 semester hours graduate credit
Instructor: Carolyn Horton
Tuition and Registration
June 3 - August 16, 2013

Description

Integration of psycholinguistic theory into an interactive model of remedial interventions based on literacy acquisition research. Practical suggestions for integrating reading, writing and spelling into an effective program for struggling readers and special populations including the learning disabled.

This is one of the required courses for individuals pursuing reading teacher certification, WI 316. This course is an approved elective in the Master of Science in Education online degree program.

NOTE: You may enroll in this course to meet your goals for professional development, license renewal, or to complete graduate credits and transfer the credit to another university or reading certification program.

Textbooks

Readings will be assigned from all of the following textbooks. (The same textbooks and resources will also be used as textbooks in the Assessment and Evaluation of Reading and Language Development course.)

1. Blevins, W. (2006). Phonics from A-Z (2nd ed.) New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN:978-0-439-84511-3 Available from amazon.com.
   
   
2. Caldwell, J.S., & Lesley. L. (2013). Intervention strategies to follow informal reading inventory assessment: So what do I do now?, 3rd edition. New York: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 13: 9780123907088 Available new and used from amazon.com.
   
   
3. Fox, Barbara. (2012). Word Identification Strategies: Building Phonics into a Classroom Reading Program, 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 9780132611282. Be sure to order the 2012 edition. Available from mypearsonstore.com
   
   
4. McCormick, S & Zutell, J (2011). Instructing students who have literacy problems. ( 6th edition) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 13:9780131381520 This ISBN number is for the value pack. Also available as an e-textbook from mypearsonstore.com.
   
   

Field Testing

During the course you will learn specific reading strategies, are required to field test these strategies with live subjects in your classroom, and will complete field experience reports describing the results. If you are not teaching, please refer to the list below to assist in finding an alternate source of struggling readers.

• A family member(but not a significant other or a spouse)
• A neighbor or group of students in your neighborhood
• Religious youth groups
• Girls Scouts
• Park district and library groups
• Students who are being tutored
• Students attending summer school
• Students in religious classes
• Students attending day care or day camps

To meet the course requirements, you will work with a struggling reader in Modules 6, 8 and 11. You may select different students, as these activities do not require working with the same student.  In Module 6 you will work with any age struggling reader who has difficulty decoding multi-syllabic words. In Module 8 you will construct and apply techniques to teach word meaning to a struggling reader. In Module 11 you will assess and teach strategies to a struggling reader who needs assistance in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension or fluency.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Compare and contrast recent reading initiatives (No Child Left Behind, Response to Intervention, Common Core State Standards) and research-based reading methods/approaches to address the needs of struggling readers and children with learning disabilities.
   
   
2. Articulate and synthesize information about evidence-based strategies for remediating phonemic awareness, phonetic and structural analysis, vocabulary and background knowledge, fluency, and comprehension.
   
   
3. Analyze and interpret background and assessment information in order to select instructional interventions for individual students with reading and learning disabilities.
   
   
4. Evaluate and select a variety of quality multimedia materials, including assistive technology, to be used for instruction at various reading and writing levels.
   
   
5. Design an effective intervention plan, including evidenced-based methods and approaches, to serve the needs of an individual learner.
   

Alignment with Teaching Standards

Course objectives are aligned with the following:

Wisconsin Standards for Teacher Development and Licensure (WI DPI) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
International Reading Association's Standards for Reading Professionals (IRA 2010) and the Content Guidelines for Reading Teachers State of Wisconsin - DPI (p. 180)

Because this class is online and open to you 24/7, you may participate from your home or work computer during hours that are flexible and convenient for your work and family schedule and responsibilities.

The class is highly interactive with a significant discussion component. All discussion postings, projects and assignments will be submitted via the course discussion board and dropbox. Activities are conducted according to a schedule with specific due dates each week; there are no required "live" chat sessions.

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The School of Education reserves the right to cancel classes that do not meet minimum enrollment requirements.

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Contact Us: School of Education
Online Professional Development
University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
Phone: 715-232-2253
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