ED 448

Reading Study Skills in the Content Area ( 3 credits)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: ED 448 provides an overview of the major types of teaching

techniques to improve reading ability in content materials; vocabulary, comprehension and study
skills. The course also focuses on making provisions for individual differences among secondary
students.

No matter what grade level or content area, reading is a natural tool for learning. In content area,
readers need to be prepared to read, assistance to understand, and guidance to reflect on what they
have read. This course begins by looking at the importance of developing literacy in subject
matter courses. We examine the linguistic factors in the content classrooms, functions of
language in this setting, and principles of authentic assessment. Strategies for vocabulary
development, reading comprehension, expository text, and writing are integrated throughout the
course.
OBJECTIVES:
The objectives for this class are derived from and address the MSUM Conceptual Framework and
the Minnesota Board of Teaching Standards:

Objectives:
1. Discuss the factors which result in reading problems in content area
(knowledgeable).
2. Apply criteria in evaluating the effectiveness in textbook or printed
instructional materials (knowledgeable, reflective).
 3. Determine the reading level of content materials (knowledgeable).
4. Utilize before, during, and after reading strategies in presenting content materials
(knowledgeable).
MN Board of Teaching Standards:
B. A teacher of communication arts and literature demonstrates understanding and skills essential
to the teaching and learning of reading, writing, speaking, listening, media literacy, and literature.
The teacher must demonstrate the:
(1) knowledge of reading processes and instruction including:

(a) orthographic knowledge and morphological relationships within words;

(b) the relationship between word recognition and vocabulary knowledge, fluency, and
comprehension in understanding text and content materials;
(c) the importance of direct and indirect vocabulary instruction that leads to enhanced general
and domain-specific word knowledge;
(d) the relationships between and among comprehensions processes related to print processing
abilities, motivation, reader’s interest, background knowledge, cognitive abilities, knowledge of
academic discourse, and print and digital text; and
(e) the development of academic language and it impact on learning and school success;
(2) the ability to use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods, and curriculum
materials to support reading instruction including:

(a) the appropriate applications of a variety of instructional frameworks that are effective in
meeting the needs of readers of varying proficiency levels and linguistic backgrounds in
secondary settings,
(b) the ability to scaffold instruction for students who experience comprehension difficulties;
(c) the ability to develop and implement effective vocabulary strategies that help students
understand words including domain-specific content words;
(d) the ability to identify instructional practices, approaches, and methods and match materials,
print and digital, to the cognitive levels of all readers, guided by an evidence-based rationale,
which support the developmental, cultural, and linguistic differences of readers;
(e) implementation of a variety of grouping strategies that include individual, small group, and
whole group reading experiences that promote enhanced comprehension of text.

(3) use a variety of assessment practices to place and evaluate effective reading including:

(a) understanding the measurement systems and proper interpretation of assessment tools
that determine individual students’ reading level, fluency, comprehension abilities, and
reading interests;
(c) the ability to communicate results of assessments to specific individuals in accurate and
coherent ways that indicate how the results might impact students’ achievement;

REQUIRED READINGS AND MATERIALS FOR THIS COURSE

Fisher, Douglas; Brozo, William G.; Frey, Nancy; Ivey Gay (2011). 50 Instructional Routines to
Develop Content Literacy. Pearson.

McLaughlin M. (2010). Content Area Reading-Teaching and Learning in an Age of Multiple

Literacies. Pearson.
Requirements:

Attendance: Regular attendance at all class sessions is expected. Points will be deducted
accordingly since students are required to be present in order to participate in class activities.

Model and apply study skills strategies, note taking strategies, identifying key words and phrases tutoring
experience with evaluation of supervisor

Tutoring Experience: During this semester you will be assigned to a middle school or high
school student to provide a tutoring experience on a weekly basis and you will keep a log of this
experience. During these tutoring sessions you will follow a student’s progress and over a 3
week period you will observe and assess your assigned student to develop a menu of possible
strategies that you will implement to address the student’s learning needs. The assessments you
conduct should lead to matching of appropriate strategies such as teaching students higher-order
thinking skills, direct reading/thinking activities, vocabulary instructional strategies (e.g.,
structural analysis) to enhance general and domain-specific word knowledge, and/or
question/answer strategies paired with observation and re-evaluation of the student’s ability to use
the strategy. log must include date, time of day, and a description of the activities of the
session.

Dialogue Journal. Written reflections ongoing throughout the semester describing class
discussions, reactions to the textbook, applications of course content, tutoring sessions. Rubric
will be provided to contain criteria for assignment.

DRTA (DIRECTED READING THINKING ACTIVITY) Lesson Plan. Develop a DRTA

lesson plan for a Content Topic at your student’s grade level. Lesson plan guidelines will be
distributed in class. Final plans and reflection writing must be submitted to LiveText

Reading Strategy presentation. During the semester, present and summarize a reading strategy
(vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, writing) to your peers in our class session. The strategy
should be one that will be or have been discussed in class, and also that you have used with your
tutoring student. The use of visuals, technology will enhance the presentation.

Professional Literature Report (2). Select an article from a scholarly or professional journal
which presents information pertaining to the teaching of reading in your content area (a list is
provided in your textbook or see the instructor for suggestions). Complete a typed report
summarizing the main ideas/issues presented and the implications for instruction.
Second article: research based paper addressing utilization of digital print in instruction.

Modeling Strategies. Throughout the semester you will be modeling reading strategies that you are
learning about in class to a peer group. (2.a)

Examinations. Three exams covering information presented in classroom lectures and textbook
readings will be given. Exams will consist of a combination of multiple choices and/or short
answer essay questions.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:
See attached addendum in accordance with MSUM’s Academic Honesty Policy
Special Accommodations (From the Disabilities Service Office)
Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are
encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disabilities at 477-2652 (phone) or
477-2047 (TTY), CMU 222 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are
implemented in a timely fashion.

ED 448: COURSE SCHEDULE

Date Topic Assignments MN BOT

Standard
s
Wee • Teaching in the 21st Century Chapter 1-McLaughlin;
k1 Goals of a teacher; • in class flexible group
• Effective teachers; discussions;
• Digital age students; • International Reading
• Constructivism Assoc. journal articles
• Motivation in teaching; specific to Week
• Literacy history prompts. One topic
• Mini-lessons on how children
learn to read-onset and rimes;
directionality; concept about print, Read chapters prior to class
• syllabication; automaticity
process.
•
Wee • Teaching and Learning in an Ch. 2-McLaughlin;
k2 Age of Multiple Literacies Video;
• Literacy, Multiple Literacies, and
New Literacies Supplemental readings;
• Critical Literacies
• Information literacy .
• Media literacy
• Multicultural literacy
Wee • Standards-Based Teaching and Chapter 3 McLaughlin:
k3 High-Stakes Assessment Jigsaw professional journal
• Educational standards articles from IRA high stakes
• Use of standards in teaching; testing.
• High stakes assessment

Comprehending Content Area Text Read chapter 4 (McLaughlin); B1(b),

• What good readers do; • In-class flexible B1(e)
Wee • Variables of comprehension grouping discussion
k4 • Ways to foster student and respond to group
comprehension in the content area questions;
text; • Video on anticipation
• Thinking through comprehension guides;
of text; • Reflective paper on
• Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, comprehension
Practice, and Reflect: strategies assisting
• Anticipation guides, semantic learners;
maps, prereading plans, bio- Professional Journal article
impressions, sketch and label, review due;
• Select peer-reviewed
article from a
professional journal
• Article must be from
content area and
aligned with topic
discussed in ED 448
ie. vocabulary,
comprehension,
diverse learners,
writing, assessment,
etc.
• Provide an overview
of selected article
• Impact it has on pre-
service teachers
• Impact it has on its
learners
• Interactive questions
Wee Read chapter 5 McLaughlin;
k5 Using Comprehension Strategies to Supplemental Readings; B1(b)
Guide Thinking • Video clip-KWL;
• Model a variety of
Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Practice, reading strategies
and Reflect: Dialogue Journals due
• Self questioning; • Reflective writing
• QAR entries on-
• ReQuest • Readings
• Paired Questiniong • Discussions
• Monitoring/Clarifying strategies; • Assignments
• KWL • Activities
• INSERT- (Interactive, Notation • Tutoring assignment
System to Effective Reading and • Interactive questions
Thinking);
Visualizing:
• Photographs of the mind;
• Guided Imagery
 Exam 1 Chapters 1-5

Wee Using Comprehension Strategies to • Chapter 6 B1(b),

k6 Extend Thinking (McLaughlin) B1(d)
• Use of comprehension strategies • MyEducationLab-
to extend thinking- a repertoire: complete activity
• Narrative Pyramid entitled
• Paired Summarizing; ‘Summarizing’ to help
• Sketch to Stretch; better understand the
• Questions into Paragraphs (QuIP); importance of teaching
• Evaluating Strategies- students to summarize
• Discussion Web information.
• Venn Diagram
Model strategies in class:
• Explain
Professionals that will assist students to • Demonstrate
improve comprehension of reading ie. • Guide
reading specialists, literacy coaches, ELL • Practice
personnel-guest speaker on topic of • Reflect
collaboration with all teachers. Students paired in content area
groups
• present a selected
strategy and
demonstrate it in
class;
• Peer discussion and
reflection.
Reflection paper to demonstrate
how students are better prepared
to assist students in the
comprehension process

Wee Teaching Vocabulary in the Content Read chapter 7; B1(a),

k7 Areas MyEducationLab- B1(c),
Integrate theory into practice (Blachowicz Developing Vocabulary, B2(b),
and Fisher-2000)- Concepts, and Fluency- B2(c),
o Engaged in understanding words complete the activity
and related strategies entitled Assessing Content
o Personalize vocabulary learning Vocabulary Knowledge to
o Be immersed in words examine reasons students
o Develop vocabularies through must understand content
repeated exposures from multiple vocabulary to apply the
sources of information; concepts being learned;
o Marzano’s Six Step Process of
Academic Vocabulary o Flexible grouping
o Guest speaker of content activity with use
 vocabulary instruction (Lois of various
Mauch) vocabulary
Balancing teaching and context strategies
o Context clues; o Discussion groups
o Graphic organizers engaged in
o Semantic maps responding to
Structural Analysis topic questions –
o Word Roots carasoul activity
o Prefixes o Semantic map
o Suffixes developed in
Vocabulary Self-selection strategy content area.
o Vocabulary
Capstone Project
where students
reflect on
structural analysis
and how it has
impacted their
learning;

Wee Organizing for Teaching and Learning
k8 • Differentiated instruction to
accommodate students’ needs.
• Flexible grouping
• Effective use of textbooks in
content areas;
• Student generating questions;
• Text patterns
(cause/effect,sequence,
description, compare/constrast)
• Patterned Partner reading
. tutoring experience with
Read chapter 8 (McLaughlin) B2(e)
-Mini-lessons demonstrating a
variety of reading strategies
presented in chapter;
-Jigsaw International Reading
Association professional
journal article on affective
questioning with students
-Flexible discussion groups on
grouping patterns
-Model and apply study skills
strategies, note taking strategies,
identifying key words and phrases
evaluation of supervisor

Wee Teaching Culturally and Read chapter 9 (McLaughlin) B1(e),

k9 Linguistically Diverse Students -Guest speaker-Dr. Linda B2(a),
• Preparation to teach Houts-Smith to speak on B2(d)
English learners topic.
• Constructivism -Word Wall activity
• Instructional techniques -Word Splash to discuss
 to support teaching vocabulary
English learners -Discussion groups on content-
-Sheltered instruction; consider how you will
-Accessible text accommodate English
learners’ needs in your
• Teaching vocabulary to English teaching, discuss how you will
learners. prepare supports for your
-Teaching academic vocabulary students in accessing
-Functional vocabulary textbooks, learning
vocabulary, and using multiple
modes of response.
-Visit MN STEP standards;
access Language Proficiency
Standards for English
Learners. With a partner,
develop a lesson plan to
include these standards.
Discuss the standards and how
you plan on including the
standards in your teaching.
Concepts  related  to"digital  
text"  include:  using  e-­‐books  
(electronic  textbooks);  
techniques  for  reading  
digital  material  -­‐-­‐  i.e.  using  
Adobe  Reader  that  allows  
inserting  comments,  
highlight,  searching  entire  
text  for  certain  
keywords/concepts,  insert  
bookmarks  to  important  
sections  of  the  e-­‐book,  etc.;  
techniques  for  using  e-­‐
notebooks  like  OneNote  
(Microsoft)  or  Zoho's  free  e-­‐
notebook-­‐-­‐used  to  take  notes  
as  digital  materials  are  read,  
sharing  the  entire  notebook  
or  any  page/section  of  the  
notebook  with  others;  
techniques  for  preparing  
materials  that  are  to  be  read  
digitally;  discussion  of  how  
people  read  differently  when  
the  material  is  only  available  
digitally  and  they  are  trying  
to  read  from  a  device  like  an  
e-­‐reader  (Nook,  iPad,  Kindle)  
vs  on  paper;  Arrangement  of  
material  presented  via-­‐-­‐  
 arranged  in  tables,  lists,  with  
use  of  plenty  of  blank  lines,  
whitespace  and  
highlighting/boldface/color  
to  enhance  the  digital  
reading  experience  (e.g.,  
streamlining  videos  and  
anchor  videos  for  
authenticity).  Support  for  
this  instruction  will  come  
from  Dr.  Rhonda  Ficek,  
Director  of  Instructional  
Technology.  
Wee Writing in the Content Areas
k 10 • Using informal writing in content Read chapter 10
area teaching (McLaughlin)
-Note taking -Meet in content area specific
-Dialogue journal writing groups-to discuss how to plan
-Learning logs to integrate informal and
• Using writing to create and solve formal writing in content area;
problems -Video on content area
• Scaffolding students’ summary writing;
writing; - Model quickwrites in class;
• Assessing Informal writing; -Model various ways to
• Inquiry based writing instruct process writing;
• Poetry -Read Donald Graves
resources
• Using the writing process in the
content areas

Examination 2 Chapters 6-10

Wee Using Technology in Content Areas
k 11 • The use of technology in the
content areas;
• Differences between online and
offline reading;
• Skills and strategies for online
and offline reading;
• Guidelines for integrating
technology;
• Tools to facilitate online learning-
podcasts, BLOGS, Wikis
Read chapter 11 (McLaughlin) B1(d),
-Dr. Rhonda Ficik-guest
speaker on the use of
technology in instruction
-Flexible grouping to discuss
how each will integrate
technology in content area
specific instruction
-In-class modeling of
strategies presented in
readings

Dialogue Journals due

Wee Inquiry: Key to Critical and Creative Read chapter 12 (McLaughlin)
k 12 Thinking in the Content Areas • Select a topic related
• Description of inquiry-based to your content area,
 learning
• Problem-based learning
• Project-based learning
• Assessment of inquiry-based
learning
Wee Poetry, Drama, Music, and Art:
k 13 Alternative Representations of
Thinking
• Multiple modes of representation;
• How we can teach our students
poetry, drama, music, art as
modes of representation
Wee Course-based assessment, evaluation,
k 14 and reporting
• How to become assessment
experts (Peter Johnston)
• Assessment terms
• Current thinking about assessment
• Use of assessment effectively in
teaching;
-Developing an assessment plan,
-Formative and summative
assessments
-Classroom examples
-Evaluation (grading);
• Organizing and managing student
assessments
• Use of portfolios
Wee Meeting Challenges and Continuing to
k 15 Learn through Professional
Development
• Challenges encountered in
teaching
and develop an
annotated list of 10
websites your students
will be able to use
when engaging in
inquiry-based
learning. Share with
peers in class.
• Carousal strategy
describing inquiry,
problem, and project-
based learning. Place
responses on chart
paper around the
room-discuss.
Technology research
paper due
Read chapter 13 (McLaughlin)
-Flexible grouping to discuss
and model a variety of modes
of representation strategies
presented in readings;
-Incorporate plan into tutoring
assignment.
Read chapter 14 (McLaughlin) 3(a), 3(c)
• Meet with peers in
content area-create a
performance
assessment and rubric
that you would use in
your content area
teaching. Share
outcomes; align with
MN standards of
effective practice, how
does it address
students’ learning
styles; how rubric
informs student
planning and goals;
• Jigsaw article from
IRA on student
assessment in the
content area-discuss
key elements
Read chapter 15 (McLaughlin)
-Guest speaker-area
administrator-importance of
professional development,
mentors in the school
 • Benefits of mentoring in teaching
• Importance of Professional
Development
• Professional development
resources
-Research paper on content
area professional
organizations-share highlights
with peers
-Video on professional
development (ASCD).

DR-TA Due
Tutoring logs due
Wee Strategy Presentations presentations
k 16
Final Chapters 11-15
Exa
m