SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Education 384I4 or

385-3

(E8.00)

ST COMET FIELD-BASED IMPLEMENTATION: ?

SUPPORTING EARLY READERS

Fall Semester, 1994 ?

Instructor: Dr. Judith Scott

Location: Milner Education Centre ? Phone: ?

291-4390

Glover Road ?

Fax: ?

291-3203

Langley

Time: TBA

PREREQUISITE: Education 401/402 or equivalent and certified practising teacher, or permission

of the faculty. Participants must have access to a school or classroom setting in which to undertake

an educational project. Attendance at the summer institute is a prerequisite for fall course

registration. Participants may have taken no more than one previous Comet course. Restricted to

teachers of primary level students.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Comet field-based implementation courses combine examination of current educational theory and

practice in a focus area with opportunities to implement an educational project in a school or

classroom. These courses begin with at least 24 contact hours of intensive study led by a

university-approved facilitator. This is followed by a semester of school-based action and

independent research supported by field-based seminars or distance education contacts with the

university facilitator. Comet courses examine both substantive issues in the focus area and

processes of planning, implementation and evaluation. Assignments include critically thoughtful

written responses to readings, a portfolio that is the focus for analysis of the individual's

educational project, and a paper that evaluates outcomes and summarizes learning. The Faculty of

Education has developed a handbook to guide students' project activities.

During the intensive study portion of the course each student designs a plan for the subsequent

school-based project. The plan, including a selection of appropriate readings, must be negotiated

with and approved by the university facilitator prior to registration for the following semester.

Substantive

Focus

of this

Comet

Course:

This course analyzes current implementation

programs for early reading. It focuses on the development of context-appropriate interventions for

primary students, with particular emphasis on those identified as having early difficulties. The

theoretical framework provided by this analysis, along with with participants' classroom

observations of students, will be used as the basis for implementing and monitoring approaches to

enhance students' early reading abilities.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Participants in this course will:

• analyze current approaches for teaching reading to primary students;

• study context-appropriate interventions;

• conduct classroom observations and use data gathered to enhance the reading ability of all

students, with particular emphasis on those having early difficulties;

• teach and monitor self-directing strategies for independent reading.

COURSE ACTIVITIES:

Attendance and participation in the summer institute;

Completion of a project plan acceptable to the university facilitator,

Implementation of the project in an educational setting;

Completion of assignments as specified below:

Pre-reading assignment - Chapter 1 plus additional readings from Hiebert & Taylor text;

ii.

Two hours of observation of a child having difficulty with early reading, using a

designated structure, including samples of what the child is able to do;

iii.

Ongoing professional journal integrating observations and responses to required

readings;

iv.

Portfolio documenting project and learning of both students and teacher participant;

v. Final paper showing evidence of integration of theory and practice.

EVALUATION:

Students will be evaluated according to SFU grading guidelines. Assignments will be weighted as

follows:

a. Pre-readings and observations

25%

Journal ?

25%

Portfolio ?

25%

Final reflective summary ?

25%

REQUIRED READINGS:

Hiebert, E.H., & Taylor, B. (Eds.), (1994).

Getting reading right from the start.

Boston, MA:

Allyn & Bacon.

B.C. Ministry of Education (1994).

Evaluating reading across curriculum.

Victoria, B.C.:

Province of British Columbia.

Clay, M. (1991). Becoming literate:

The construction of inner control.

Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Adams, M. J. (1991).

Beginning to read.

Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

In addition to the above, students will complete and respond to other readings appropriate to the

specific foci of their individual projects. The choice of readings will be selected from a course

bibliography and negotiated with the university facilitator.