GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION/DIVISION OF EDUCATION

COURSE SYLLABUS

_________________________________________________________________

COURSE TITLE:                 Developmental Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools

COURSE NUMBER:            EDUC 520

CREDIT HOURS:                 3 Graduate/Undergraduate

INSTRUCTOR:                     Glenna L. Howell, Ph.D.

                                     g-howell@govst.edu       708-534-4371           G-320

TRIMESTER:                       Winter 2003

Catalogue Description

            Focuses upon a continuation of development and content-based strategies appropriate for readers in grades six through twelve.  Emphasis is upon instruction highlighting strategic development of prior experiences, word knowledge, reading comprehension, reference, analysis of literature, and motivation of the adolescent reader.

Texts

Alvermann, D. E., & Phelps, S. F.  (2002).  Content reading and literacy (3^rd ed.).        

     Boston:   Allyn and Bacon.

Hesse, K. (1997).  Out of the dust.  New York:  Scholastic.

Rationale

            This course is designed to help the teacher in meeting developmental reading needs for middle and secondary learners in both language arts and content area classes.  Instruction will also focus on helping students develop life-long reading skills.

Expected Student Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

1.  describe major factors influencing reading and learning from text;

2.  describe, interpret, develop, and use formal and informal reading assessments;

3.  describe and plan effective and appropriate reading comprehension instruction to meet the

     needs of the readers, including activities which:

     a.  demonstrate awareness of motivation theory;

     b.  develop effective vocabulary strategies;

     c.  develop active comprehension strategies;

4.  select and use instructional materials appropriate for learners and for task;

5.  integrate reading instruction with writing, listening, and speaking activities;

6.  describe and plan assessment activities that reflect the type and level of comprehension

     instruction.

Literacy Requirement    

            All written assignments are to be composed in edited American English and free of distracting errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.  Multiple, distracting errors will result in the grade for the assignment being lowered one full letter grade (e.g., A- to B-).

            All written assignments must be typed or word processed in a professional manner using a 12-point font, one-inch margins, and observing the stylistic conventions of the American Psychological Association.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities should inform the professor of any special needs at the outset of the course to arrange reasonable accommodations.  Failure to do so may result in difficulty accommodating such special needs.

Attendance and Make-up Policies     

            Class attendance is mandatory.  In-class, collaborative learning activities have been planned throughout the course; therefore, any absence from class will adversely affect the student's grade for the course.  No opportunities can be provided for the student to make up class activities missed during an absence.  Any absence must be reported by telephone to the professor and cooperating teacher (during planned observations) before it occurs. 

            All submitted assignments are due at the beginning of the period designated in the "Reading and Assignment Schedule" section of this syllabus.  Grades for work submitted after that time will be reduced by one letter grade for every calendar day the work is past due.

Grading

Course grades will be determined on the following basis:

                                                                                    Points

            Homework                                                             200

            Mini-lesson                                                            200

            Participation (Individual and Collaborative)                   100

                        Total                                                        500

            Annotated Bibliography                                             _50

                        (Graduate Students Only)

                        Total                                                        550

Letter grades will be determined on the following basis:

            93 – 100%       =          A

            85 – 92%         =          B

            77 – 84%         =          C

            69 – 76%         =          D

            Below 69%       =          F

Participation

            Participation refers to active involvement, reflecting preparation and critical thinking, in oral discussion with the professor and other students during every class session.  Occupying a seat or even making smiling eye contact with the professor will not be regarded as adequate (warranting grade of C) involvement.  You will be notified at mid-term of the professor’s assessment of your participation during the first half of the term.  This grade should alert you if your class involvement needs enhancement.

Homework

            On the dates indicated on the “Reading and Assignment Schedule” section of this document, each student will submit homework selected and completed by the student which demonstrates his or her reading and comprehension of that week’s reading assignment.  This homework will include in the following order:  a) chapter outline or notes, b) discussion of the significance of key chapter vocabulary (minimum 5 terms), c) summary and discussion of the significant relationship of a pertinent scholarly article to a text chapter, and d) creation of a handout or classroom display for secondary students based upon text information.  After submitting each of the preceding types of homework assignments, the student may submit the remainder of the homework assignments in whatever form, among those listed here, that he or she wishes or in some creative form previously approved by the professor.  Note #1:  The student is required to maintain a folder of all graded homework assignments until the trimester ends.  Note #2:  Late homework will not be accepted.  If the student is ill, homework may be submitted by e-mail.

Mini-lesson

            On the date indicated in the “Reading and Assignment Schedule” section of this document, the student will present a lesson based upon one of the strategies presented in a chapter of the text.  The lesson will include an anticipatory set, direct instruction, small group or independent practice, and closure.  Each student’s lesson will be evaluated by the professor using a rubric that will be supplied to the class before mini-lessons begin.  Because of scheduling difficulties, this assignment may not be made up if missed for any reason.  Graduate students will also submit an annotated bibliography of a minimum of five articles from the scholarly literature related to the strategy they present. 

Observation Report

            Students enrolled in this course as a prerequisite to certification are required to engage in 25 hours of instructional observation/participation in a middle school or junior high school.  A two-page observation report will be due at the end of the trimester.  In this report, using a first-person point of view, the student will describe observed instructional practices that he or she believes to have been effective and that the student would like to incorporate into his or her instructional repertoire as well as any practices the student observed that did not seem effective.

Reading and Assignment Schedule