READ 531: Teaching Struggling Adolescent Readers

COURSE
DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to help teachers to develop an understanding and teaching repertoire that will allow them to effectively assist adolescent learners who struggle with literacy and to empower teachers to help all their students reap the benefits that accompany strong literacy skills.

PREREQUISITES

Graduate standing. It is assumed that all participants in this course have access to a middle/high school level classroom where they can conduct observations as well as incorporate the reading strategies we discuss in this class.

COURSE
STRUCTURE

Textbook readings with posted reflections; posting to whole class discussion forums; providing feedback to other learners; book talks; tutoring and keeping a tutoring log; and a final report on tutoring a struggling adolescent reader.

STANDARDS

This course supports the following International Reading Association's 2010 revised Standards for Reading Professionals:

2.1	Candidates use foundational knowledge to design or implement an integrated, comprehensive, and balanced curriculum.
2.2	Candidates use appropriate and varied instructional approaches, including those that develop word recognition, language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading-writing connections.
2.3	Candidates use a wide range of texts (e.g., narrative, expository, and poetry) from traditional print, digital, and online resources.
3.2	Candidates select, develop, administer, and interpret assessments, both traditional print and electronic, for specific purposes.
3.3	Candidates use assessment information to plan and evaluate instruction.
5.2	Candidates design a social environment that is low risk and includes choice, motivation, and scaffolded support to optimize students' opportunities for learning to read and write.
5.3	Candidates use routines to support reading and writing instruction (e.g., time allocation, transitions from one activity to another, discussions, and peer feedback).

PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS

Upon completion of this course, participants will have

conducted and reflected on a tutorial in which they provided individualized assistance to an adolescent who was struggling with reading.
developed a set of guidelines for assessing struggling adolescent readers.
developed a repertoire of instructional interventions to assist struggling adolescent readers.
come to understand how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of struggling readers in the classroom.

CORE/ELECTIVE

This graduate course can fulfill the 3-credit requirement in the Literacy Strategies & Methods thematic area in the 24-credit Reading Endorsement program, the 12-credit Literary Education program, or for individual professional development. It can also be used as an elective.

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Aimee Alexander-Shea, Assistant Professor, College of Education, Eastern Oregon University. K-12 teaching: 2 years as elementary teacher, 1 year as reading resource specialist. College-level teaching: 12 years. (BA and M.Ed., University of Florida; Ph.D., University of South Florida.)

TARGET
AUDIENCE

Middle and high school teachers with struggling readers in their classroom. Teachers seeking a reading endorsement at the middle or high school authorization level.

TIME
COMMITMENT

Students should expect to spend approximately 9 hours per week for 10 weeks in course-related activities (e.g., reading the text and course materials, posting to discussion forums, completing classroom-based assignments and final project). This course is online and does not require in-person attendance. Assignments are completed on the learner's time schedule and are due as posted.

TEXTBOOK

Textbook(s) are required for this course. You will find the textbook listed in the syllabus that is posted online at the EOU website or you may contact the instructor. For most classes, the EOU Bookstore will be a source for the textbook.

COST

No course in the ReadOregon curriculum will cost more than $359 per credit, including fees, for students in the ReadOregon program.

CONTACT

For more details on this course, please contact Dr. Aimee Alexander-Shea at aalexand@eou.edu.