LTCY 420 Reading in the Primary Grades
Western Kentucky University
 

FALL 2006

Students:  You may VIEW last semester's syllabus, but note that MANY changes will be made prior to the first day of class.  Do not print the calendar or any assignment "links" from this page as those are still dependent upon some unresolved issues with the field placements. 
Dr. Petty - June 1, 2006

 

Instructor:  Dr. Pam Petty   Office:  TPH 363
Office Phone:  270-745-2922  Home Phone:  615-735-9198
Fax:  270-745-6435 Home Email:  pam@pampetty.com 
Course Calendars on portal page:  LTCY 420  Reading in the Primary Grades  Western Kentucky University, Fall 2005 Homepage: http://www.pampetty.com/ 

Office Hours:  Tuesday and Thursday:  10:00 - 11:30;
Tuesday:  3:30 - 5:00; Wednesday:  8:30 - 4:30
Mondays and Fridays by appointment
IM user:  pam@pampetty.com
Electronic Hours:  Evenings 7:00 - 10:00 

Navigation for this page: 

Prerequisites Course Description: Rationale Required Textbooks  Objectives/ Assessment
Critical Student Performances Instructional Method/ Activities Special Instructional Materials Core Objectives Supporting Objectives
Course Topics Required Components KERA Elements Addressed Evaluation and Grade Assignments Assignments
Block Syllabus Electronic Literature Based Instruction Administering and Interpreting an IRI

Formal Report FORM for this assignment linked HERE.

Experiences in Teaching Reading Analytic Spelling Inventory/Word Sort
Read Alouds

Cumulative Exam Professionalism Me Box (15 points) 
SUCCESS GRADING SCALE Plagiarism Policy The Fine Print Disability Accommodations
Supplementary Resources Links of Interest for LTCY 420 students

Blackboard Electronic Portfolio System 

"Turning good into great takes energy, but the building of momentum adds more energy back into the pool than it takes out.
Perpetuating mediocrity is an inherently depressing process and drains much more energy out of the pool than it puts back in.
In the end, it is impossible to have a great life, unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work."   
James C. Collins

Prerequisites:  ELED 250, 340, LTCY 320

Course Description:  A second course in reading designed to offer a detailed view of the principles, materials, and methods of instruction for primary (K-4) school children.  Field experiences in public schools and/or other appropriate settings away from campus are required in this course.  Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to designated or assigned sites.

Rationale:  This course will provide elementary education majors with the skills necessary to teach reading and writing concepts in ways that are developmentally appropriate for elementary students.  The content will expand current understanding of reading and writing concepts and include a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of all children.

Required Textbooks:

Classrooms that Work:  They call all Read and Write -- Patricia Cunningham and Richard Allington

4th Edition

Pearson Allyn and Bacon 0-205-49394-7

 

 

 

Informal Reading Inventory : Preprimer to Twelfth Grade
by Paul C. Burns and Betty D. Roe
Paperback 5th Sprl edition (October 1998)
Houghton Mifflin College; ISBN: 0395903467

Phonics They Use:  Word for Reading and Writing

4th Ed.

Patricia Cunningham

Pearson Allyn and Bacon  0-205-41037-5

 


Course Objectives and Assessment:  Teacher education students can demonstrate knowledge of reading and writing concepts and developmentally appropriate instruction by providing evidence for each of Kentucky's New Teacher Standards (NTS):

        I.        Designs/plans instruction
        II.       Creates/maintains learning climates
        III.     Implements/manages learning climates
        IV.    Assesses and communicates learning results
        V.     Reflects/evaluates teaching/learning
        VI.    Collaborates with colleagues/parents/others
        VII.   Engages in professional development
        VIII.  Knowledge of content

Course Disposition(s) Statement:

CEBS Disposition Statements

The Educational Professional Demonstrates the Following…

1.  Personal Traits
1.1  Is Mission Driven and Passionate
1.1.a  Demonstrates belief that all children can learn at high levels.
1.1.b  Demonstrates belief that all children have the right to a quality education.
1.2  Is Positive and Real
1.2.a  Approaches challenges with a "can-do" attitude.
1.3  Is a Teacher-Leader
1.3.a  Demonstrates willingness to utilize technology to enhance teaching and learning.
1.3.b  Exhibits initiative and self-direction.
2. Teaching Traits
2.1 Demonstrates Withitness
2.1.a  Effectively manages a variety of tasks simultaneously.
2.2 Demonstrates Enthusiasm
2.2.a  Exudes enthusiasm for teaching and learning
2.3  Exhibits Motivational Ability
2.3.a  Nurtures learner trust.
2.3.b  Respects the feelings of others.
3.  Intellectual Traits
3.1  Appreciates Context
3.1.a  Demonstrates an understanding of student diversity as an enhanced opportunity for teaching and learning.
3.1.b  Demonstrates a willingness to work with the home and/or community of students to facilitate teaching and learning.
3.2.c  Demonstrates a willingness to adjust and revise instruction to maximize learning of all students.
3.2  Is Thoughtful and Curious
3.2.a  Shows commitment to reflection and learning as an on-going professional development process.
3.2.b  Welcomes constructive criticism as a means to improve skills.
4.  Professional Traits
4.1 Demonstrates Professionalism
4.1.a  Demonstrates willingness to adapt to social and professional expectations of an educational environment.
4.2  Assumes Responsibility for Learning
4.2.a  Takes responsibility for developing and maintaining a positive learning environment.
4.3  Demonstrates Ethical Behavior

Critical Student Performances:
Electronic Literature-Based Instruction
Administering and Interpreting an Informal Reading Inventory

Instructional Methods and Activities:
Lecture, demonstrations, discussion, group work, reading, written assignments, Web-supported, field experiences

Special Instructional Materials:
computer disks, children's literature 


Core Objectives
Supporting Objectives

Course Topics:
        Philosophies of Reading Process
        Word Identification
        Comprehension
        Vocabulary
        Literature in the Classroom
        Content Area Reading
        Writing Process
         Technology
        Assessment
        Interventions

Required Components (Written work must be stored electronically for portfolios):
        Field Experience
            Writing Process Lesson
            Various other reading strategies (Experiences in Teaching Reading)
        Administration of Assessment Measures
            Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) - implementation, interpretation, and report
            Analytic Spelling Inventory (Words their Way)
        Cognitive Tests

KERA Elements Addressed:
        1.  Curriculum
                    Learner Goals
                    Performance Tasks
                    Integrated Curriculum
        2.  Performance Assessment
        3.  Expanded use of technology
        4.  Primary program (seven attributes)


Evaluation and Grade Assignments:  Assessments will include written assignments, cognitive tests, evaluation of lesson plans, and performance events.  The student must achieve minimum competency, otherwise the course must be repeated.  No grade can be issued until all field hours have been completed.  GUIDELINES FOR EACH ASSIGNMENT WILL BE EXPLAINED AS IT IS INTRODUCED.  All assignments will be scored for grammar, format and accuracy.  APA format MUST be used in all assignments - you WILL lose points if you don't use APA format in all bibliographies.  Please consult these resources:

There are TWO (2) CRITICAL PERFORMANCES for this course:  Electronic Literature-Based Instruction and Administering and Interpreting an Informal Reading Inventory.  These assignments MUST be posted to the Electronic Portfolio before a final grade can be given for this course.  These assignments need to be produced electronically either in MS WORD (doc), in Rich Text Format (rtf), HTML, or PowerPoint (PPT) so they can be uploaded to the Electronic Portfolio and opened by your instructor.  Submission of WORKS files or WordPerfect files is not acceptable.  

NOTE TO STUDENTS: The following is a list of tasks to be completed in this course.  The exact specifications for each task is not complete.  You can print this part of the syllabus, but do not print the hyperlinked information for each assignment.  You are going to be allowed CHOICE in completing these tasks based on the classroom/instructional setting in which you do your field work.  The exact details of the choices you will make will be discussed in class.   

The premise of the course is this:  Everyone will do ONE of each of the following tasks - the total possible points from the list below is 370, however there are 500 possible points within this course.  To make up the difference between 370 possible points and 500 possible points, each student must make decisions about which tasks they will do more than once.  The best idea is to collaborate with your classroom teacher to see what would best fit into the already existing schedule.  THESE TASKS CAN ALSO BE DONE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF YOUR SERVICE LEARNING.  A more detailed explanation will be given in our first class meeting on January 24, 2006.

ASSIGNMENTS (click on each of the following for specific explanations and instruction regarding the assignments):

1.  Electronic Literature-Based Instruction (75 points each)
The purpose of this assignment is to allow LTCY 420 students to demonstrate technology literacy and to share literary instruction, resources, and links to other educational websites.  An additional purpose of this assignment is to provide LTCY 420 students with an opportunity to plan a WebQuest focusing on literacy instruction using quality trade books and demonstrating the ability to plan exemplary literacy instruction for vocabulary development and pre/during/and post reading strategies for increased comprehension of print. 

2.  Administering and Interpreting an Informal Reading Inventory (40 points each) 
Teachers in primary classrooms are predominantly responsible for helping their students acquire good literacy skills.  Both in Kentucky and nationwide, the goal is for students to read on grade level by the third grade.  Therefore, teachers need to be able to determine which areas of literacy are areas of strength and which are areas for improvement.  The informal reading inventory is an assessment tool which can aid the primary teacher in determining word knowledge, listening abilities, and independent, instructional, and frustration levels of reading ability.
  

Formal Report FORM for this assignment linked HERE.-
Dr. Petty's Fall 2005 class ONLY
         

3.  Experiences in Teaching Reading (10 points each) 
Students will teach reading in the classroom using a variety of methods focusing on strategies (word recognition, comprehension) that students need to be successful readers and writers.  Students will teach four (4) reading lessons using 4-Blocks framework of instruction and at least one phonics lesson using manipulatives developed in LTCY 320 (depending upon which instructor you have in LTCY 320, you may or may not have developed a phonics kit).

4.  Analytic Spelling Inventory and Word Sort (25 points each) 
Use Words Their Way to administer a spelling inventory, interpret results, plan instruction, and teach word sort lessons.  

5.  Read Alouds (5 points each - up to 50 points) 
Demonstrate your ability to read aloud as a means of modeling, motivating, and sharing your LOVE of good literature.  You will plan and expertly execute read alouds from a variety of types of children's books:  historical fiction, information books, fiction, poetry, etc.  ONE of the read alouds must be INTERACTIVE.  More information will be provided in class. 

6.  Cumulative Exam (75 points) - mandatory for all students
Chapters included on this exam and the date of the exam will be announced in class.  

7.  Professionalism (10 points) - mandatory for all students
Professionalism is an important requirement for all teachers.  It is usually demonstrated by a set of behaviors which indicate your commitment to your profession.  Those behaviors will be expected during this class.  

8.  Me Box (15 points) or Me PowerPoint - mandatory for all students
In any field-based experience, we must be prepared to introduce ourselves to students.  To help "smooth" the process of introductions it is helpful to have a plan or strategy that is fun and helps everyone relax.  "Me Boxes" consist of a decorated box (or a facsimile thereof) in which you have collected items that tell something about you that might be appropriate and of interest to your students. 
A "me" PowerPoint is an electronic means of introducing yourself to students.  The PPT should include photos and images that let students know something interesting about you. 

9.  Service Learning Project (75 points) - detailed explained in class.  Points in the service learning project can be accumulated in a number of ways.  Each distance learning site will work with instructors to find civic/service learning projects appropriate for their own community. 

  • 5 points - write your goals and initial thoughts related to the service you are about to perform and submit those in the discussion board prompt that will be available for that purpose

  • 5 points - develop and submit a schedule of your planned service learning project

  • 40 points - perform your targeted service learning project and keep a daily journal of your experiences

  • 25 points - reflection - this is a key part of the experience - it is the "so what" of why you did what you did and what you learned (if anything) from it - this part also includes your PLANS for how you will continue to serve

** Note concerning ALL lesson plans and teaching experiences:  Before teaching the lesson you must give the classroom teacher a copy of your lesson plan (the URL to your WebQuest). Failure to follow these guidelines could result in delayed scheduling of your teaching experience.

Recipe for SUCCESS:  Get organized.  Get a calendar.  Get a watch.  USE the calendar and the watch.  READ the material before you come to class.  I am NOT going to tell you what the book says.  I am going to engage you in grand conversations and discussions about WHAT it says.  


Total Class Points:                    500 + 50 Block Points = 550 total class points

GRADING SCALE

Grade

Percentage

Points

A

93 - 100%

511-550

B

85 - 92%

467-510

C

77 - 84%

423-466

D

70 –76%

385-422

F

69% and below

384 and below

Course Assignments
500 points
 50 points
Course Total
550 points

Plagiarism Policy:

To represent ideas or interpretations taken from another source as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The academic work of students must be their own. Students must give the author(s) credit for any source material used. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage after having changed a few words, even if the source is cited, is also plagiarism. 

In PLAIN ENGLISH:  Do not (NOT) turn in work to us that you copied from someone else, that belongs to someone else, or that you did not personally write every word of yourself.  With past literature units and other materials from LTCY 420 posted on the Internet the temptation might be for you to "borrow" some of the writing and present it as your own.  I urge you to resist that temptation.  No plagiarism or cheating will be tolerated. 

For information about plagiarism: what it is and how to recognize it and avoid it, see
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

http://www.pampetty.com/plagiarism.htm

The Fine Print:  The following statements should be noted carefully.

1.  You are required to attend all field experience days.  Any absence may impact your block grade.  IF you miss any time in the field you must make that time up by planning an alternative time with your teacher.  I have to receive written notification by you (email is fine) that you have made up the time.  Any falsification of field time will endanger your continuance in this course, in block, and possibly your program of study at WKU. 

2.  All full-day activities must be attended IN FULL.

3.  ALL ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE GRADED FOR CONTENT AND MECHANICS.

4.  Please keep a copy of all assignments handed in.  In the highly unlikely event that an assignment is lost, you will need to provide another copy in a timely manner.

5.  Late assignments will be deducted 10% of the total possible score.  An additional 10% will be deducted if the late assignment is not turned in within the following week.

6.  My expectations are high, but my goal is for you to be successful and to leave this university with the skills you need to be the best reading teacher possible.

The previously-stated policy on late work applies even in circumstances when the student is given an incomplete ("X") for failure to upload an assignment to the Electronic Portfolio System. Students requesting an incomplete for another reason must contact the instructor to ask for an incomplete, which may or may not be granted, depending on the instructor's judgment regarding the circumstances of the student's request. According to the catalog on Undergraduate Catalog p.28/Graduate Catalog, p.13, “A grade of ‘X’ (incomplete) is given only when a relatively small amount of work is not completed because of illness or other reason satisfactory to the instructor. “An ‘X’ received by a student will automatically become an “F” unless removed within twelve (12) weeks of the next full term (summer excluded). The grade of ‘X’ will continue to appear as the initial grade on the student’s transcript, along with the revised grade.

Please turn off all cell phones.

Disability Accommodations Statement:
"Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Room 445, Potter Hall. The OFSDS telephone number is (270) 745-5004 V/TDD. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services."
 


Supplementary Resources
Allington, R.L., & Walmsley, S.A. (1995). No quick fix. New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press. Henderson, E. (1990). Teaching spelling (2nd Ed.). Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
Atwell, N. (987). In the middle: Writing, reading, and learning with adolescents. Montclair, NJ: Boynton/Cook. Kobrin, B. (1988). Eyeopeners! NY: Penguin Books
Calkins, L. (1994). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Routman, R. (1991). Invitations: Changing as teachers and learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Clay, M.M. (1979). The early detection of reading difficulties. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Morrow, L.M. (1997). Literacy development in the early years: Helping children read and write. Boston, MA: Allyn & 
     Bacon.
Cunningham, P.M. (1991). Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing. NY: Harper-Collins. McMahon, S.I., & Raphael, T.E. (1997). The book club connection: Literacy learning and classroom talk. NY: 
     Teacher’s College Press.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. NY: New Press.  

Journals:

Elementary School Journal Reading Research Quarterly

Language Arts The Journal for Adolescent & Adult Literacy

Reading Improvement The Journal for Literacy Research

Reading Psychology The Reading Teacher

Reading Research & Instruction Reading Horizons

Website Addresses:

Kentucky Department of Education http://www.kde.state.ky.us/ International Reading Association http://www.reading.org/
Children’s Literature Web Guide http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English & Communication http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/index.html
Booklist (reviews) http://www.ala.org/booklist/ Sites of Interest to LTCY 420 Students:  http://www.pampetty.com/420links.htm
Summary of Essential Practices:  http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/ela/e_literacy/summary.html#chart1   K-5 Balanced Literacy
Balanced Literacy -  K Education World ® - Curriculum Reading Aloud -- Are Students Ever Too Old
Literacy Teaching Ideas Reading Workshop
IPL Kidspace Story Hour Literacy - Online Literacy Resources
Literary Calendar Reference Portal NNCC Better Kid Care Reading Aloud
Reading and Books Phonics - Spelling Reading - Reading Spelling - Writing Speaking
Reading and Language Arts Resources on the Internet Reading Comprehension - Muskingum College
Ride the Reading Roller Coaster APA Citation Machine - http://landmark-project.com/citation_machine/cm_book.php3 (only as good as what you enter ... remember:  don't enter FULL first names - initials only)
Good Teaching:  The Top Ten Requirements Principles of Composition
Kids on the Web http://www.zen.org/~brendan/kids.html Jan Brett’s Home Page http://www.janbrett.com/
Ann Arbor District Library Kid’s Page http://www.annarbor.lib.mi.us/kidspg/kidspg2.html

Dr. Pam Petty
Special Instructional Programs, Literacy
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd, #71030
Bowling Green, KY  421010-1030
Tate Page Hall, 363
Campus Telephone:  290-745-2922
Home Telephone:  615-735-9198
Home Email:  pam@pampetty.com
Campus Email:  pamela.petty@wku.edu
Personal Homepage:  http://www.pampetty.com/

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