EDUC 6638 Advanced Assessment and Instruction in Reading

This course recognizes the necessity of a teacher to possess a thorough understanding and competence in classroom assessment/diagnostic principles and instructional practices for improving learner reading ability. Emphasis is placed on providing candidates with theoretical and practical experiences that will enhance and strengthen their knowledge base and enable them to gain competence with: (1) the reading processes, (2) the skills of reading, (3) reading assessment tools, (4) techniques and strategies for addressing specific reading strengths and difficulties of students, and (5) procedures for developing individual prescriptions for reading improvement based on identified student needs. Topics include: (1) what teachers need to know about reading assessment, (2) changing trends in assessment, (3) ongoing assessment, (4) periodic in-depth assessment, (5) portfolio assessment, (6) formal measures (norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and minimum competency testing), (7) instructional strategies for remediation, and (8) assessment factors related to reading problems. (Pre-service certificate required. Field experience required.)

Credits

3

Typically Offered

fall, spring

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to:

1. Recognize widely-accepted reasons for reading difficulties.
2. Administer an informal reading inventory.
3. Refer to the IRA/NCTE standards for assistance in assessing reading and writing.
4. Interpret findings from an informal reading inventory to discover reader’s strengths and weakness for planning appropriate lessons for students.
5. Relate a child’s success or lack of success in learning to read to environmental, health influences, and/or lack of parental support.
6. Use established quantitative and qualitative testing procedures to measure reading performance and ability.
7. Establish an understanding of what occurs during reading by observing and collecting relevant instructional data on student performance during reading lessons.
8. Demonstrate knowledge and skills of effective ways to organize and manage reading instruction in the classroom environment for all students including diverse learners and children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of various remediation strategies which would facilitate reading development.
10. Examine and evaluate reading technology as a differentiated approach to reading instruction.
11. Produce structured components of a professional case study with appropriate scaffolding.
12. Survey and evaluate instructional materials for reading using readability formulas.
13. Explore and analyze the state standards to produce appropriate instruction for children.
14. Utilize formative and summative literacy assessments.