READ 519: Language Study for Teachers: K-12 (3 cr)

COURSE
DESCRIPTION

This course will provide foundational knowledge in linguistics important for literacy teachers. Topics include fundamentals in:

Phonetics and phonology

Morphology

Syntax

Semantics

Pragmatics and language use in society

Classroom discourse

PREREQUISITES

There are no required prerequisites for this graduate-level course. However, learners are assumed to have experience working with elementary and/or secondary students.

COURSE
STRUCTURE

Online delivery using WebCT. No face-to-face interactions. Course readings; Discussion Board, Threaded Discussion; providing responses on selected topics and exercises to share with one another. Language analysis using student sample is also included.

STANDARDS

This course supports the following International Reading Association's 2003 Standards for Reading Professionals:

1.1	Demonstrate knowledge of psychological, sociological, and linguistic foundations of reading and writing processes and instruction.
1.3	Demonstrate knowledge of language development and reading acquisition and the variations related to cultural and linguistic diversity.
1.4	Demonstrate knowledge of the major components of reading (phonemic awareness, word identification and phonics, vocabulary and background knowledge, fluency, comprehension strategies, and motivation) and how they are integrated in fluent reading.
2.2	Use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches and methods, including technology-based practices, for learners at different stages of development and from differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS

Teachers will gain important background knowledge to facilitate their instructional planning and delivery in phonics instruction, vocabulary development, sentence structure, word meaning and choice in comprehension, questioning strategies, and textual structure.

CORE/ELECTIVE

This graduate course can be used as a core or elective course in the Literacy Foundations thematic area in the 24-credit Reading Endorsement program, as 3 elective credits for those in the 12-credit Literary Education program, or as a stand-alone course.

INSTRUCTOR

Fran Verbruggen, Instructor, Portland State University Graduate School of Education. Frances Verbruggen is a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education at Portland State University, where her research interests include instruction for struggling readers and writers and English language learners. She currently holds an early childhood/elementary teaching license with a reading endorsement, and has taught reading at both the elementary and college levels. Her educational background includes coursework in literacy development, language acquisition, and communication sciences and disorders.

TARGET
AUDIENCE

This course is designed as an overview of linguistics fundamentals for preK-12 teachers.

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 written and teacher's classroom-based assignment). 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

A textbook is required for this course. Please check with PSU's ReadOregon program.

CONTACT(S)

For more details on this course, please contact Elizabeth Snyder at Portland State University.

REGISTER at PSU