October 28 @ 9:00 am – December 18 @ 3:30 pm
Linking Assessment to Teaching: Reading, Writing & Word Study
Use student assessments to plan your literacy instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
In this eight-week online course, you will develop skills in systematic observation and analysis of student reading, writing, and language behaviors in order to plan effective teaching to meet student needs.
- Classroom Teachers & Interventionists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- Course Number: EEDUC 6165.80
- Fees are subject to change
Authentic, standardized assessment and analysis of reading records, writing, and talk provide teachers insight into how students process, comprehend, and craft meaningful text.
In this online course, you will learn how to use systematic observation and analysis of student reading, writing and language usage. You will also learn how to identify the behaviors and understandings that are essential to the way words and language work. Then, you can use these understandings to design appropriate literacy instruction that meets the diverse needs of all students.
By enrolling in an online course, you have the flexibility to learn at your own pace with the support of a virtual community and have access to a variety of educational resources and materials at your convenience.
Course Outcomes
- Learn how to observe reading, writing, and language behaviors as a foundation for planning differentiated and targeted instruction
- Learn how to analyze student reading behaviors to plan for instruction
- Build an understanding of the reading process and the systems of strategic actions that enable students to become effective readers
- Learn how to gather evidence of the use of the systems of strategic actions from observing students reading, talking and writing about text
- Think about how second language acquisition impacts assessment and how to observe and analyze the behaviors of emergent bilingual learners to inform differentiated instruction
- Learn how to assess for phonological awareness and other concepts related to word-solving and vocabulary development
- Develop an understanding of the demands of texts increasing in difficulty across a gradient
- Learn to use The Literacy Continuum as a resource to help analyze reading, writing and word-solving behaviors and link the assessment data to instruction
- Develop an understanding of how reading, writing and language behaviors change over time
- Examine how to design individual, small group and whole group literacy instruction to meet the needs of all students
Wendy Vaulton, Associate Director of Reading Recovery and Early Interventions
Wendy Vaulton is the Associate Director for Reading Recovery and Early Interventions at Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Wendy serves as the Center’s Reading Recovery trainer, supporting teacher leaders in five states. She has experience as an educational researcher, professional developer, and teacher of Reading Recovery. Wendy’s recent research interests include the capacity of improvement science to support systematic, data-informed decision-making for all levels of educational improvement.
You’ll need access to a student at this grade level (K–8) to complete assignments successfully.
Required Texts
You are responsible for purchasing/having access to the following professional texts for this course:
- Anderson, C. (2004). Assessing writers. Heinemann.
- Clay, M. M. (2017). Running records for classroom teachers, second edition. The Marie Clay Literacy Trust. ISBN USA 978-0-325-09279.
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2017). The Fountas and Pinnell literacy continuum, expanded edition: A tool for assessment, planning, and teaching. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). Guided reading: Responsive teaching across the grades, second edition. Heinemann.
- Note: You will need this edition. Please do not use older versions/editions.
This option must be taken for 3 graduate credits. Take the course individually or as a required course in our 18-credit Online Graduate Certificate in Developing Literacy Expertise Through Responsive Classroom Teaching.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers.
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