Assessment & Intervention in Teaching Reading: Education 310
Alison Schmidt: aschmidt@wooster.edu, ext. 2303
Fall 2007: TTH, 9:30-10:50 p.m.
Classroom: Morgan 300
Office: Morgan 224
Home Phone: 330-264-0584

» Academic Catalogue Description
» Course Schedule

I. Course Description:

This course is designed to provide in-depth exploration of assessment and intervention strategies for reading instruction in the early childhood years.  Topics include: developmentally appropriate practice; observation and assessment of reading skills; use of informal assessment tools; diagnosis of and remediation strategies for those with reading difficulties; use of children's literature; accommodations for the needs of children with disabilities and developmental delays; multidisciplinary teaching; planning and evaluation of instructional lessons and units; assessment of those with limited English proficiency; evaluation of technology tools; implementation of the I.E.P.; use of family-centered assessment; intervention based on assessment finding; value-added intervention; reflective practice; and collegial relationships and professionalism.  The course includes direct involvement with reading assessment in a third grade classroom.  The students will collect, analyze, and disseminate assessment data, and use data collected to design subsequent instruction and intervention.

The course also provides an opportunity for the student to examine the standards set forth by various accrediting bodies such as: the Ohio Department of Education (ODE); the International Reading Association (IRA); the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); the National Institute for Childhood Development and Education at the U.S. Department of Education; the National Association for  the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/CEC).

II. Purpose:

This course is one of the fourteen professional education courses and one of the three literacy courses required in the Early Childhood licensure program..

This course is designed to help prepare the future educator for effective use of assessment tools in reading.  In addition, much discussion, observation, and field work is related to use of various assessment tools and ways in which results from such assessments can be used to guide instruction. 

III. REQUIRED READING (reference listed as (“     “) and following each bibliographic citation indicates how article is listed in the syllabus):

Barrentine, S. J., &  Stokes, S. M. (Eds.) (2005).  Reading assessment: Principles and practices for elementary teachers.  Newark, DE:  International Reading Association. (“B & S”)

Ohio Department of Education. (2001)  Academic Content Standards:  K-12 English Language Arts.  Columbus, OH:  Ohio Department of Education. (“ODE”)

Powell, R. (2005).  Marginalism.  In Straight talk: Growing as multicultural educators.  New York:  Peter Lang Publishers. (“P”)

Reutzel, D. R. & Cooter, R. B. (2007).  Strategies for reading assessment and instruction.  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Articles and chapters of books available on reserve or e-reserve at the College of Wooster Library: Clay, M. M. (2000).  Running records.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann. (“Clay: Running Records”)

Gillett, JW, Temple, C, and Crawford, AN. (2004).  Understanding reading problems:  Assessment and instruction.  Boston, MA:  Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. (G)   Chapter 2, pp 58-60. (“G”)

Duffelmeyer, F.A. , Kruse, A.E., Merkley, D.J., and Fyfe, S.A.  Further validation and enhancement of the Names test.  The Reading Teacher, 48, October 1994, 118-128. (“Duffelmeyer article”)

Gambrell, L.B., Palmer, B.M., Codling, R.M., Mazzoni, A.A. “Assessing motivation to read.”  The Reading Teacher, 49, April 1996, 518-533. (“Gambrell article”)

Goodman, Y.M. “Revaluing readers while readers revalue themselves: Retrospective miscue analysis.”  The Reading Teacher, 49, May 1996, 600-609. (“Goodman article”)

Leslie, Lauren and Caldwell, JoAnne.  (2001).  Qualitative Reading Inventory. New York, NY:  Longman. (“L”)

McKenna, M.C. and Stahl, S. A. (2003).  Assessment for reading instruction. New York: Guilford Press. (“McK”)

Neill, M.  “Tough to teach No Child Left Behind.”  Creative Classroom. 

November/December 2002, 40-46. (“Neill article”)

Rhodes, L.K. and Nathenson-Mejia, S.  “Anecdotal records: A powerful tool For ongoing literacy assessment.”  The Reading Teacher, 45, March 1992, 502-509. (“Rhodes article”)

Yopp, H.K. Developing phonemic awareness in young children.”  The Reading Teacher, 45, May 1992, 696-703. (“Yopp article”)

Yopp, H.K. “A test for assessing phonemic awareness in young children.”  The Reading Teacher, 49, September 1995, 20-29. (“Yopp article”)

Books available on closed reserve at the Andrews Library: Clay, M. M. (2000).  Concepts of print.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann. (“Clay: Concepts of Print”)

Clay, M.M. (2002).  An observation survey. Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann. (“Clay”)

Resources available online:

National Association for the Education of Young Children.  (1996).  Guidelines for preparation of early childhood professionals.  Washington, D.C.:

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (available online at www.naeyc.org).

National Reading Panel  www.nationalreadingpanel.org

International Reading Association  www.reading.org

Ohio Department of Education  www.ode.state.oh.us

National Institute of Child Health and Development  www.nichd.nih.gov

National Right to Read Foundation  www.nrrf.org

IV. Required Reading on E-Reserve or Reserve at the Library:

Akhavan, Nancy.  (2004).  How to align literacy instruction, assessment, and standards.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.

Bratcher, Suzanne.  (1994).  Evaluating children’s writing.  New York, NY:  St. Martin’s Press.

Crawley, Sharon J. & Merritt, King.  (1996).  Remediating reading difficulties. Boston: MA:  McGraw Hill.

Fiderer, A.  (1995).  Practical assessments for literature-based reading classrooms. New York:  Scholastic.

Gober, S.Y. (2002).  Six simple ways to assess young children.  Albany, NY:  Delmar.

Gunning, T.G. (2002).  Assessing and correcting reading and writing difficulties. Boston, MA:  Allyn and Bacon.

Mindes, Gayle, Ireton, Harold, & Mardell-Czudnowski, Carol.  (1996).  Assessing young children.  Albany, NY:  Delmar.

Puckett, Margaret B. & Black, Janet K.  (2002). Authentic assessment of the young child: Celebrating development and learning.  Columbus, OH:  Merrill.

Rasinski, Timothy & Padak, Nancy.  (2000).  Effective reading strategies: 

Teaching children who find reading difficult.  Columbus, OH:  Merrill.

V. Course Objectives : Taken from NAEYC and IRA Curriculum Standards

Reading and literacy preparation programs in the state of Ohio adhere to the standards set forth by the International Reading Association (IRA), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).  The reading and literacy preparation program at Wooster also adheres to the Department of Education’s seven desired learning outcomes.

The following standards are addressed in each of the courses required in the reading/literacy core.  Members of the department of education acknowledge that all standards are addressed in many or all of the courses within the reading/literacy core.  However, it is most effective to have specific standards the primary focus in specific courses.  Therefore, those standards directly addressed in this particular course, Education 310 : Assessment and Intervention in Reading, are indicated below in bold print:

COW Learning Outcomes  www.wooster.edu/education

            #1  Reflective practitioners

            #2  Active researcher/independent thinker

            #3  Knowledgeable instructor

            #4  Autonomous decision-maker

            #5  Effective and professional communicator

            #6  Progressive educator

            #7  Global leader

IRA               www.ira.org

             # 1 Foundational Knowledge

# 2 Instructional strategies and curriculum methods

# 3 Assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation

# 4 Creating a literate environment

# 5 Professional Development

NAEYC            www.naeyc.org

            # 1 Child Development and Learning

# 2 Curriculum Development and Implementation

# 3 Family and Community Relationships

# 4 Assessment and Evaluation

# 5 Professionalism

ODE                        www.ode.state.oh.us

            # 1 Phonemic Awareness

# 2 Acquisition of Vocabulary

# 3 Reading Process

# 4 Reading Applications

# 5 Literary Texts

# 6 Writing Process

# 7 Writing Applications

# 8 Writing Conventions

# 9 Research

# 10 Communications

In Education 310, specific learning objectives are as follows.  The teacher education candidate will:

• Participate in an individual classroom reading assessment project using informal assessment tools to evaluate student performance in word recognition, comprehension, and fluency.
• Utilize technology in order to collect, record, analyze, and report on assessment data.
• Identify significant research and contributors to reading assessment.
• Create and modify assessment and follow-up instructional environments and experiences to meet the individual needs of all children, including children with disabilities, developmental delays, and special abilities
• Affirm and respect culturally and linguistically diverse children, support home-language preservation, and promote antibias approaches through the creation of assessment and intervention-related environments and experiences.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to differences in family structures and social and cultural backgrounds when planning assessment and intervention strategies.
• Use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan and individualize curriculum and teaching practice.
• Design and implement intervention strategies to use when tutoring an individual child.
• Pre and post test an individual child at the beginning and end of the semester.
• Complete kindergarten screening for a kindergarten teacher.
• Develop and use authentic, performance-based assessments of children’s learning to assist in planning and to communicate with children and parents
• Reflect on your practices, articulate a philosophy and rationale for decisions, and continually self-assess and evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others and a basis for program planning and modification and continuing professional development.
•  Demonstrate awareness of and commitment to the profession’s Code of Ethical Conduct
• Actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally by locating and using appropriate professional literature, organizations, resources, and experiences to inform and improve practice

VI. Assignments: See assignment sheets for specific assignment descriptions

1. Reflective journal from Kean assessments	5%	Sept. 11
2. Clinical Report from Kean	10%	Sept. 21 (note Fri.)
3. Partner reports on readings	5%	October 9
4. Lesson/Unit plans	5%	Oct. 23
5. Web reports	10%	Oct. 30
6. Intervention lesson plans	10%	Nov. 13
7. Informal Inventory Report (IRI)	10%	Nov. 27
8. Final intervention report	15%	Nov. 29
9. E-portfolio	10%	Dec. 4
10. Class participation, attendance professionalism in field	5%	Dec. 6
11. Comprehensive Assessment Plan: Partner- school-wide concept	15%	T. Dec. 11 2:00 pm

VII. Course Expectations:

1. Attendance and participation:  You are expected to be present for all class sessions.  Each student is expected to participate fully in all class discussions and activities.  If you anticipate an absence, please contact the professor as soon as possible (2303, aschmidt).  If you are expected in a school, you are required to contact the cooperating teacher (by calling the school).  Your grade will be negatively  affected by unexcused and/or excessive absences.
2. Field/Clinical placement:  You are expected to complete approximately 10 hours of focused field experiences in at least two elementary buildings, working in early childhood settings.  Attendance and active participation in these field experiences is expected.  Please be sure to arrive at your field experience on time.  You are expected to document these hours using the electronic weekly time sheets available at www.wooster.edu/education.
3. Professionalism:  You are expected to demonstrate professional attributes including initiative, motivation, appropriate language and dress, punctuality, confidentiality, planning, etc.  You are also expected to be familiar with the Praxis III performance assessment criteria.
4. Completion of assignments:  All assignments are expected to be submitted on time.  Any assignment can be handed in ahead of time.  If you have any concerns or questions about the assignments, please ask the professor.  Your grade will be negatively affected by late or incomplete assignments.  All written assignments must be typed in 12-point font and double-spaced.
5. Academic support: If you are a student with a documented learning disability in this course, please register with Pam Rose, Director of the Learning Center (ext 2595 or prose@wooster.edu). The Learning Center is located in the Rubbermaid Student Services Building (ext 2595) and is the office that will assist you in developing a plan to address your academic needs and adjustments.  The Learning Center (ext. 2595) offers services designed to help students improve their overall academic performance. Sessions are structured to promote principles of effective learning and academic management. Any student on campus may schedule sessions at the Learning Center.
6. Counseling:  The College provides professional and confidential counseling at The Student Wellness Center.  This center is located on Wayne Avenue across from Compton and is open 24 hours.  The extension is 2319.
7. Academic Advising:  You have an academic advisor either assigned to you through First-Year Seminar or because of your chosen major.  Please seek advise from this individual.  However, members of the Department of Education also strongly encourage that you meet with a member of the Department each semester in order to discuss and plan for the specific requirements in the teacher education program that leads to teacher licensure.
8. Academic integrity: The College’s understanding and expectations in regard to issues of academic honesty are fully articulated in the Code of Academic Integrity as published in the Scot’s Key and form an essential part of the implicit contract between the student and the College. The Code provides a framework at Wooster to help students develop their own personal integrity.
   
   While you are a student at this college, you will be treated as adults.  You are expected to know and abide by the rules of the institution as described in the Scot’s Key and The Handbook of Selected College Policies  (http://www.wooster.edu/policies). Particular attention should be directed to the appropriate use of materials available on-line through the Internet. It is important that you read and understand the ethical use of information (http://www.wooster.edu/library/sciref/Tutor/Ethics/ethics.html). Whether intentional or not, improper use of materials can be considered a violation of academic honesty.
   
   Cheating in any of your academic work is a serious breach of the Code of Academic Integrity and is grounds for an F for the entire course.  Such violations include turning in another person’s work as your own, copying from any source without proper citation, going beyond what is allowed in a group project, fabricating excuses and lying in connection with your academic work. You will be held responsible for your actions. If you are unsure as to what is permissible, always consult your course instructor.
9. The e-portfolio:  The e-portfolio is a tool developed throughout the teacher education program at Wooster.  You should have an e-portfolio developed by the time you take ED 310. You are expected to complete and turn in a portfolio assignment sheet with each assignment.  You are expected to link assignments to the appropriate standards listed on your e-portfolio. 

VII. Course Expectations:

A requirement for successful completion of Education 310 is participation in class activities and in an assessment project in an area third grade classroom and kindergarten classroom.  You will complete approximately 25 hours in the field experience.

Field experiences are defined as a scene of practical work or observation outside of the more formal college classroom settings.  You will be expected to observe, gather, analyze and report on assessment data, design and complete intervention strategies based on these data, and reflect on your experiences.  You will be supervised and evaluated by a college supervisor.

Support experience is defined as observation, training, and direct experiences in  the college classroom related to the course itself.  You will complete approximately 25 clinical hours in the college classroom. 

You are expected to document these hours using the electronic weekly time sheets available at www.wooster.edu/education.