01MON FRASER UNIVERSITY

I

Summer Semester 2000

Designs for Learning: Language Arts

(Elementary)

•

Lfl1 An

Wednesdays 17:30-21:20

PREREQUISITE

EDUC 401/402

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Desiree Blume

Office: MPX 8637

Phone: 291-5975

E-mail: dblume@sfu.ca

This course will focus on developing knowledge, skills and strategies to create a rich and stimulating Language

Arts program in the classroom. Issues in Language Arts will be examined through current pedagogy and teaching

practice. This course will provide you with a framework to examine and reflect on your understandings about

learning and teaching language arts, and your role in engaging children in communicating and searching for

meaning.

This course has an emphasis on experiential learning. It will require personal involvement and class

participation. You will have opportunities to examine your personal beliefs about children, the teacher and the

curriculum; and to explore the congruency between theory and practice. There will be professional readings,

discussions, written response, seminars, demonstrations, group work and other action-based learning

experiences. Upon completion of this course you should have an extensive repertoire of strategies and materials

to use in the language classroom.

TOPICS

• Language and the learning process

• The process of reading and writing

• The development of listening and speaking skills

• Early literacy

• Reading and writing across the curriculum

• The connection between reading and writing

• Children's literature in the Language Arts program

• Writer's Workshop and Literature Discussion Groups

• Strategies for effective Reading and Writing Instruction

• Developing an effective Language Arts program

• Assessment and Evaluation

REQUIREMENTS

• Regular attendance and participation

• Completion of assigned professional readings

• Completion of reading and writing assignments

• Personal writing and reading throughout the session

REQUIRED READINGS

Choose between:

Calkins, Lucy. (1994). The Art of Teaching Writing. (2nd edition) Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

ISBN 0-435-08809-2.

(Calkins has a focus on the teaching of reading and writing in the primary and early intermediate grades)

or

Atwell, Nancie. (1998). In the Middle (2nd edition). Boynton/Cook Publishers Inc. ISBN 0-86709-374-9.

(Atwell has a focus on the teaching of reading and writing in the tipper intermediate grades)

RECOMMENDED READINGS

A list of recommended readings will be available and readings will be assigned throughout the session.