Learning Communities

Integrated Methods II: Reading and Language Arts in Early Childhood Education

Course description:

Introduces preservice educators to the survey and implementation of specific curricular methods for Early Childhood educators. This course is designed to help educators understand specific content, survey and critically analyze current issues and trends; and apply methods and their integration and assessment across the following areas: Language Arts, Reading, Literature and Drama. The course will serve as a culminating experience that fosters integration and synthesis of all previous and concurrent course work

Course Outcomes:

As a result of participating in this course, prospective teachers will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the role of theory and research in informing pedagogical practice.

• recognize and analyze questions and issues fundamental to curricular design.

• Understand specific content, methods, and models in each curricular area.

• demonstrate the ability to plan, implement and teach lessons in all curricular areas.

• self evaluate one's teaching and evaluate the teaching of others.

• analyze specific educational practices with respect to their own philosophy of education.

• synthesize the principles of all previous and concurrent course work as applied to all curriculum area below.

Topical Outline:

Classroom instruction is designed to help educators: 1) survey, understand and integrate into lessons the National Standards and the Oregon Standards and benchmarks as they apply to each of the 5 curricular areas; 2) foster the construction of appropriate and effective teaching strategies and lesson planning; 3) use appropriate authentic pre and post assessments of student learning; 4) integrate appropriate applications of technology and other resources; 5) identify and discuss current issues and research; 6) integrate concepts and lessons across all of the curricular areas.

Literacy

Emergent Literacy (READING READINESS)

Physical/small motor development

Visual/auditory

Body imagery

Attention span

Receptive/expressive language

Drama

Self Expression

Expressing one's Self

Reader's Theater

Storytelling around the world

Choral Reading

Using Puppets

Informal and formal dramatic presentations

Reading

Process of reading

Assessment: Formal and Informal

Phonics and decoding

Context Clues

Comprehension

Vocabulary

Text and the reader

Phonetic based

Literature based

Literature-based basals

Language Experience Approach

Gross Motor Approach (Orton, Gillingham and Slingerland)

Individualized Reading Approach

Reading Centers

Grouping for reading (various possibilities within homogeneous and heterogeneous)

Literature

Surveying great literature

Elements of good literature

Using literature in the classroom

Writing

Keyboarding

The process of writing and editing

Writing modes

Spelling

Handwriting

Analytical trait scoring

Assessment:

Students will demonstrate an understanding of specific content, methods, and models in each curricular area.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of grade level content expectations including standards and benchmarks, as well as the ability to plan and integrate concepts and lessons through microteaching presentations.
Students will continue to develop and add lessons, resources and appropriate information to their portfolio.
Students will demonstrate professional participation and performance in class.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of appropriate applications of technology to specific content area pedagogy.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of authentic performance-based assessment techniques.
Across all submitted work, students will demonstrate proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and organization, that will follow the APA format.