Indiana Reading Academy Project
Course Syllabus L545
Advanced Study in Teaching Reading
I. General Information
Instructor of Record:
Course Credit: 3 credit hours
Target Audience: k-3 teachers
Materials: All instructional materials are provided to each participant by the Indiana State
Board of Education funding.
This course is a collaborative effort between Indiana University and the DOE to deliver
reading education courses to Reading First Schools in Indiana. L545 is a combination of
Voyager Expanded Learning: Reading for Understanding and an inquiry project
designed, implemented, and evaluated by Indiana University.
II. Course Goals
This course was developed to build primary elementary teachers’ knowledge in
Scientifically Based Literacy Research while also allowing for applications of informal
literacy assessments, diagnoses, and strategies for intervention in their classrooms.
Teachers will conduct personal inquiries related to site-specific needs to further their
understanding of literacy learning.
III. Course Description
The dynamic nature of the learning experience is created through the utilization of
four major components:
1. Online learning Modules which provide standardized curriculum, personal
journals, teaching and classroom assessment opportunities, learning activities, and
online discussions with peers across the state of Indiana, literacy coaches, and IU
online instructors.
2. Learning Groups are formed at the school level with all K-3 participants. Group
meetings are led by a trained literacy coach. They provide feedback, reflection,
discussion, planning, and assessment of the online learning, classroom activities
and projects. Opportunities for peer interaction and support during each learning
module enhance the teacher’s experience.
3. Practical Experiences provide job-embedded activities for each learning module
that enable teachers to practice what they have learned in a manner that builds
confidence, reflection/feedback, and adoption.
4. Coaching support for each teacher provides the necessary leadership to move
through the curriculum experience with fidelity and provide feedback and support
as she applies newly learned practices.
IV. Course Outline
Module 4: Comprehension through Discussion
 Research findings on the influence of discussion on comprehension of texts
 Teachers’ roles in classroom discussion
 Strategies for facilitating students’ use of conversation
 Strategies for Extending thoughts
 Discussion analysis
 Goals of a literature discussion group
Module 5: Comprehension through Writing
 Research findings on the role of writing in promoting reading for understanding
 The writing process
 Denver writing attitude survey
 Writing-instruction scaffold: modeled, shared, interactive, guided, independent
 Rubrics for assessing various writings
 Writing strategies to respond to reading: journals, logs, charts, portfolios
Module 6: Student Motivation
 Research findings on the connection between motivation and reading achievement
 Understanding what promotes motivation
 Four action steps to improve students’ motivation
 Creating a classroom culture for reading motivation
 Scaffolding for motivation and reading engagement
 Assessing motivation: reading questionnaires
Inquiry Project
This inquiry will be worked on throughout the course as the teacher
 Questions ways she can better meet the needs of her students
 Identifies an area of focus for research (begin reading on topic)
 Collects data that will give further insights when analyzed
 Organizes, analyzes, and interprets data
 Develops an action plan based on new knowledge
V. Evaluation
Each teacher will be evaluated on the basis of successfully completing the
following activities, work products, and test:
1. Attendance (80%) at school based meetings
2. Successful completion of each module (on time) and the variety of activities
including self assessments, classroom activities, case studies, etc. that will
compose 60% of final grade.
3. Successful completion of the inquiry project (on time). The inquiry will compose
40% of the final grade and will include a written product for each of the five
phases.
4. The final grade will be calculated by adding the percentage points earned on the
modules and the percentage points earned on the inquiry project. Grades will be
determined by the scale below:
A
94 to 100
A90 to 93
B+
87 to 89
B
83 to 86
B80 to 82
C+
77 to 79
C
73 to 76
C70 to 72
D+
67 to 69
D
63 to 66
D60 to 62
F
0 to 59