Practicum in Reading

1. .  Students will demonstrate the ability to compare, contrast, use, interpret, and recommend a wide range of formal and informal assessment tools appropriate for assessing a child’s specific strengths and needs.

2. Students will demonstrate the ability to collect, analyze, and use assessment data to develop and modify an appropriate instructional literacy plan for an individual child.

3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of how to use a child’s literacy strengths to develop a child’s literacy needs as they plan and carry out appropriate literacy instruction.

4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of reading and writing processes and will select appropriate literacy methods, strategies, and materials for instructional purposes.

5. Students will demonstrate knowledge of how to document and monitor a child’s literacy progress.

6.  Students demonstrate knowledge of how to analyze and adjust instruction as needed to assist children to develop their literacy abilities.

7. Students will demonstrate knowledge of a variety of reading teaching methods, reading and writing strategies, and materials to assist children with reading and writing.

8. Students will synthesize diagnostic data obtained from informal assessments, lesson plans, and lesson reflections into a case study report.

Participation and Professional Conduct, 20% of grade: 

Merely attending class is not sufficient to earn the class participation credit, but you must be present in order to participate. Unexcused absences will affect your participation grade. Come to class prepared and ready to actively participate in each class session: ask questions, answer questions, share your knowledge and experiences, and actively participate in whole class and small group discussions and activities. Read any assigned course materials, bring your texts and course materials to every class session, and take responsibility for your share of discussion. One of the privileges of a community of learners is gaining feedback from others as you learn. Take advantage of this privilege—ask others to proofread your assignments, study with members of the class, and discuss ideas with group members.

Evaluation criteria (100 pts): a) actively engage others in constructive discussion, questioning, and querying during class sessions to assist in the development of self-reflective practice (Brown, 1997), 50 points, and b) participation in group activities, 50 points. If there is no group activity for a specific date, participation grades for that date will be based on the student’s class discussion participation as described in (a), or,  if noted by the professor, on participation in another type of experience.

Johns and Lenski text discussion, 20% of grade:

Students will each be responsible for a jigsaw learning assignment from each text chapter. Each of you will be responsible for leading the discussion of a part of each Johns and Lenski text chapter, ensuring that you are familiar with each chapter and that you participate in the discussion of each chapter. Because of the text design as a compilation of chapter sections focusing on teaching assessments, strategies, activities, and resources, PowerPoints and handouts are not required for this discussion. You may include supplemental materials related to the information you are presenting in each chapter. Evaluation criteria is identified below. Points will be awarded for each chapter presentation. The assignment grade will be figured by dividing the total number of presentation points by the total number of possible points (14 points).  Due as assigned. 

Lesson Logs (Plans), 25% of grade:

The reason for conducting reading diagnosis is to ascertain a child’s reading strengths and needs in order to adjust your instruction to benefit the child’s learning. In order to learn how to diagnosis a child’s strengths and needs and how to adjust instruction, you will assess and tutor a child. On the basis of your analysis of the data from the assessments you administer and from your observations, you will design and implement approximately six, 60 minute tutoring sessions in which you will utilize the child’s literacy strengths to improve her or his literacy needs. To conduct instructional sessions, you need to collect assessment data to assist you in planning for instruction. You will need to determine what data to collect and what instruction you must provide. You must make decisions about the reading strengths and needs of the child you are tutoring. You are to write a tutoring lesson log (plan) for each tutoring session. The format of the lesson will be discussed in class, and a form for writing the lesson log will be provided. The word-processed, single-spaced, one-inch margin, 12 font (Times New Roman font, like this syllabus), lesson log is due via e-mail, or in hard copy at beginning of the next class period, so that I can give you feedback before the next tutoring session. Exceptions to the due dates are the last two tutoring sessions. Both of these lesson logs are due after the last tutoring session.

Evaluation criteria will be handed out at a later date as we prepare for tutoring.

As Part of the Tutoring Lessons, You Will Administer and Analyze the Following Assessments for the Child You Are Tutoring:

As part of the course requirements, you will be working here on campus with a child from one of the local schools. You will use a variety of assessment instruments to identify the literacy strengths and needs of the child you will be tutoring. These assessments will be introduced and discussed in class during the semester. From the assessments discussed in class, you will select the most appropriate assessments for the child you are tutoring, based on the preliminary information you are given about that child. Please remember that any information about the child you are tutoring is confidential and should not be discussed or shared with anyone other than the child’s parent or within our READ 6283 course classroom discussions (or READ 6273 diagnosis course classroom discussions) and lesson planning. 

1. Interest Inventory

Several interest inventories are available. You will administer the one most appropriate for the child you are tutoring. Administer the interest inventory during the first tutoring session. Following the tutoring session (do not take tutoring time to analyze the form), summarize in your lesson log what you learned about the child from the interest inventory. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring?

2. Reading Inventory

You will be introduced to several reading inventory forms during class, including the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, the Burke’s Reading Inventory, and the Metacognitive Reading Awareness Inventory. The objective of a reading interview is to discover how the child you are tutoring views reading. Learner attitude affects learner motivation and performance. The reading inventory may also inform you about some of the child’s reading strengths and needs. You will administer the most appropriate interview for the child you are tutoring. Administer the reading inventory during the first tutoring session. Following the tutoring session (do not take tutoring time to analyze the form), summarize in your lesson log what you learned about the child’s views of reading from the interview. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring?

3. Writing Sample

During the first tutoring session and during the last tutoring session (2 times), collect a writing sample from the child you are tutoring for the purpose of writing sample analysis. Following the tutoring session (do not use tutoring time to do the analysis), use the form handed out in class to analyze the child’s writing in terms of syntactic usage, semantic usage, graphophonic usage, and writing mechanics usage (capitalization, punctuation, spacing, legibility/penmanship). In your lesson log summarize what you learned about the child’s writing from the writing sample. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring? How can you help the child with writing during the tutoring lessons? (For the last tutoring session, how has the child’s writing changed from the beginning sample?)

4. Writing Interview

During the first or second tutoring session, administer the writing interview to the child you are tutoring. You may need to reword some of the items for younger children. In your lesson log summarize what you learned about the child’s views of writing from the writing interview. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring? How can you help the child with writing during the tutoring lessons?

5. Spelling Inventory

You will be introduced to more than one spelling inventory form during class. During the first or second tutoring session, administer an appropriate spelling inventory to the child you are tutoring. In your lesson log summarize what you learned about the child’s spelling from the spelling inventory. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring? What are the child’s spelling strengths? What are the child’s spelling needs? What patterns do you see? How can you help the child with spelling during the tutoring lessons, or is spelling a strength on which you do not need to focus?

6. Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) and Miscue Analysis Summary Sheets

Administer the various parts of the Johns Informal Reading Inventory. This includes the word lists and oral reading passages. You will only administer the silent reading passages and listening passages if the child you are tutoring is a certain age level (see the IRI handout). Each part of the inventory provides specific information about the child’s reading ability. After administering the IRI, score each part and complete the appropriate summary forms. Following the tutoring session, analyze the information from the forms (do not take tutoring time to do your analysis). Provide a brief summary of the information from each part of the IRI in your lesson log for that tutoring session. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will the IRI information affect your tutoring? What are the child’s three reading levels? What is the child’s reading strength—word ID or comprehension? What are the child’s reading needs? What patterns do you see in the child’s reading? How can you help the child with reading during the tutoring lessons?

7. Tutoring Session Running Records

Following the completion of the initial assessments, you will conduct a running record assessment during each tutoring session for students K-6^th or for older readers as determined in consultation with the professor. The running record should be completed on a familiar reading—a 100 to 150 word passage that the child read during the prior tutoring session. In order to administer the running record, you will need a copy of the material the child reads. You will mark any miscues as the child reads. Analyze the reading miscues after the tutoring session. Do not take session time to complete your analysis of the reading.  In your lesson log summarize what you learned about the child’s reading from the running record. For example, what is your interpretation of the miscue analysis? What patterns do you see in the child’s reading? In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will it affect your tutoring? What are the child’s reading strengths? What are the child’s reading needs? Have the child’s reading levels changed? If so, why do you think they changed? If not, why didn’t they change? Based on information from the running record, how can you help the child with reading during the tutoring lessons?

8. Fluency Assessment

Assess each child’s running records for fluency using any one of a variety of fluency assessments, such as the Four-Point Fluency Rubric (Johns, Berglund, & L’Allier, 2007), the Four-Point Fluency Rubric for Oral Reading (Johns & Berglund, 2010), the Holistic Oral Reading Fluency Scale (USDE, National Center for Education Statistics, 1995), the Johns and Lenski Five Point Fluency Scale for Reading (Johns & Lenski, 2005). Compare the fluency indicators from the first running record to the last running record and include this information in your case study report.

9. Other Assessments?

Based on the strengths and needs of the child you are tutoring, are there other assessments that should be completed? Other assessments may be suggested by your professor which you may need to complete, or there may be assessments from the Johns and Lenski text that you may choose to use along with those mentioned above. For example, you may want to administer the Clay Observation Survey, the Yopp Singer, or the Names Test, depending on the age and level of the child with whom you are working. If you complete another assessment for the child you are tutoring, identify the assessment and summarize the information from the assessment in the lesson log. In the written lesson reflection, reflect on that information. How will this information affect your tutoring?

Written Reflections (Analysis) of the Tutoring Lessons and the Informal Literacy Assessments, 25% of grade:

Following each tutoring lesson, you will write a 2 page written reflection of the lesson—what went well, what when wrong, why did it go well, why didn’t it go well, what might you have done differently, and so on. You will also analyze the results of any assessments you administered during the lesson (see above). The word-processed, double-spaced, one-inch margin, 12 font, Times New Roman (like this syllabus) written reflections are due with the word-processed lesson log via e-mail or at the beginning of the next class period, so that I can give you feedback on the last tutoring session before the next tutoring session. Any assessment forms completed during the tutoring may also be either scanned and sent via e-mail, or delivered to me at the beginning of the next class period. Exceptions to the due dates are the last two tutoring sessions. Both of these reflections are due after the last tutoring session. Evaluation criteria will be handed out at a later date.

Comprehensive Case Study Portfolio Folder, 10% of grade:On the first day of tutoring, begin to collect and store in a folder the materials from each tutoring session. Materials should be arranged chronologically with the most recent tutoring session materials on top. Also include a copy of your case study report presentation PowerPoints from READ 6273 in handout format. Following your case study presentation, you will hand in the case study folder on your tutoring student. The folder will include the original assessments, lesson logs, written reflections, and a copy of your case study presentation PowerPoints. The folder and its contents will become part of the reading clinic files.

Grading Scale:

90-199 = A

80-89 = B

70-79 = C

60-69 = D

The final course grade is calculated according to the weighted percentages of the assignments in the syllabus.

Assignments are due as announced in class.

Late papers and assignments will be accepted only in cases of emergency and on a case by case basis.

 Attendance for this class is required. Professional teachers are dependable, reliable, and responsible. Therefore, graduate students enrolled in an education course are expected to be in attendance, on time for class, and to stay for the entire class. Absence, tardiness, and leaving early are considered evidence of lack of dependability and will be noted for each class session. Students who are more than 10 minutes late to class or who leave class early will be counted absent for the class session. Students who are less than 10 minutes late to class, but who are chronically tardy, will lose 10 percentage points (equivalent of one letter grade) from their final course grade. Students may be dropped from the course following the third absence.

The content of this course is presented via class discussions, demonstrations, lectures, readings, and small group activities. Your attendance and participation are required to obtain a complete understanding of course material. It is your responsibility to make up any missed work. If you miss class, you must obtain notes, class announcements, assignments, handouts, etc. from another student prior to the next scheduled class time. Excused absences will be approved on a case by case basis only.  

Please turn off all communication devices (e.g. cell phones) during class. Be considerate of others and do not take calls or text messages during class because it interrupts the learning process of other students. Please use your cell phones on break and not during class.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism (submitting another person’s work as your own or using another person’s words without giving them proper credit) is academic dishonesty and will be considered grounds for failing this course.

Note:

By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants MSU a “limited right” in all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course. The “limited right” shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality and authenticity and for educational purposes.

Disability Access:

In accordance with the law, MSU provides academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students with documented disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the professor and to contact the MSU Disability Support Services, Clark Student Center, Room 168, phone: 940 – 397 – 4140.

Syllabus Changes:

This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class or via e-mail.