EDU 515 - Reading Instruction and Assessment across the Content Area

3 Semester Hour(s)

Reading and writing extend beyond English and language arts classes. Success in every subject area depends on students’ abilities to comprehend what they read and express themselves with clarity and purpose. This course explores the role content area teachers play in the English language and literacy development of students. It further explores the influence of cognitive psychology on reading and learning in the content areas, reading motivation, purposes for reading, strategic instructions, and the use of assessment data in planning developmentally appropriate instruction for students. The course will cover specific topics including schema, metacognition, scaffolding, vocabulary development, text structure and complexity, comprehension, and reading strategies. Candidates will learn to develop lessons and units that integrate reading and writing while covering concepts in the content area, as well as learn effective instructional strategies in the content areas to teach students at varied levels and abilities, including struggling readers. Teaching in an elementary school is a primary requirement for this course. Students will develop Portfolio Work Sample 3.