EDUC 230 Foundations of Reading and Literacy

The candidate will explore the principles of The Science of Reading and its impact on literacy instruction. This will include an emphasis on language development, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The candidate will develop an overall understanding of the literacy development process through evaluation of current reading research. This understanding will promote the candidate to make informed decisions regarding literacy curricula and instructional strategies. 

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 300–400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 100-200 words. Each thread and reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last 5 years, and acceptable sources include the textbook, course materials, or the Bible. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Article Application Assignment

Based on the review of research, the candidate will create a teaching activity that integrates oral language and comprehension of informational text for two grade bands. These teaching activities will be rooted in research. The candidate will complete the Article Application Template according to the assignment instructions. The final portion must include one in-text citation from the course textbook and one in-text citation from the assigned article in 1-2 paragraphs describing the benefits of integrating language development and literacy instruction in teaching. (CLO: A, B)

Website Review Assignment

This assignment will allow the candidate to explore and contrast the literacy components of Phonemic Awareness and Phonological Awareness. Using the provided template, the candidate will explore online resources and strategies for supporting classroom instruction of these reading elements and include thorough descriptions of each element with 1-2 paragraphs explaining teacher supports. The student will provide 5 websites regarding phonological and phonemic awareness and the strategies the websites discuss. The candidate will then select and analyze at least 3 of the chosen strategies and write a 1-2 sentence rationale for each strategy. The assignment must include in-text citations and references of the course-textbook and selected websites. (CLO: A, C)

Small Group Instruction for Phonics Assignment

The candidate will identify and provide rationales for two center activities for the various stages of phonics. 3-5 characteristics must be identified for each stage along with a 3-5 sentence description and direct link to each center activity selected, except for one activity noted in the template. (CLO: C, D)

Article Review PowerPoint Assignment

The candidate will review an article related to vocabulary. Based on the content from the article and the text, the candidate will create a PowerPoint outlining the foundational principles of vocabulary instruction. The candidate will choose 2 topics from the provided list and create 3-5 slides for each topic, with a total of 6-10 slides. Both the textbook and the article should be cited in-text and referenced on a Reference slide in APA formatting. (CLO: A, C, E)

Program Evaluation Assignment

The candidate will complete a webquest to identify, describe, and evaluate how curricula based on the science of reading integrate the literacy elements studied. Using the provided template, the candidate will explore, evaluate, analyze, and answer prompts for 3 literacy units. The candidate will then choose one of these units to further evaluate by listing 2 strengths and 1 area of improvement. Finally, the candidate will write a conclusion in 5-7 sentences summarizing what he/she learned from this assignment and must include at least 1 citation to the course textbook or Learn items from the course in current APA format. (CLO: A, C)

Instructional Design for Supporting Literacy Assignment

The candidate will select one of two student scenarios and must describe instructional strategies appropriate for each student in the areas of decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The candidate must describe the instructional approach and give a rationale for how that strategy is based on research to support student mastery of the reading element. Each rationale must be supported with an in-text citation and a full list of references in APA format must be included in the last page of the template. (CLO: A, C, E)

Intervention Strategies Assignment

The candidate will complete a template to describe supports for struggling students related to decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The candidate will integrate supporting diverse students with a biblical worldview. In the provided template, the candidate will outline the individual supports he/she would provide for students needing intervention. Then, the candidate will outline a small group intervention strategy for 2 of the 5 reading elements and provide a rationale for the strategy. Each rationale must include at least 1 in-text citation used to support the strategy. Finally, the candidate will compose a 3-5 sentence paragraph explaining how meeting the students’ needs align with the biblical worldview of a Christian educator. The candidate must support this closing paragraph with at least 1 Scripture citation and reference. All references must be listed on the final page in current APA format. (CLO: A, C, E)

Quizzes (3)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 5-10 questions (multiple-choice, true/false, matching, etc.), and have a 1-hour time limit. There will be 2 attempts allowed for each quiz and the highest attempt will count towards the grade. (CLO: A, B, C, D)