Maine Reading First

Course Outline - Modified Version 2006-07

Session Topics and Objectives

Session 1: Introduction to the Reading First Initiative

Introduction to the goals of the Maine Reading First initiative.
Explanation of scientifically based reading research (SBRR) and the 5 essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Overview of the characteristics of effective school-wide literacy programs.
Introduction to the elements of research-based literacy environments for K-3 students.

Sessions 2 & 3: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Research, Assessment, and Instruction

To provide a theoretical understanding of the research supporting the development of phonological and phonemic awareness in children, including:
- knowing the progression of phonological skill development (rhyme, syllable, onset-rime, phoneme)
- understanding the difference between speech sounds (phonemes) and letters/letter combinations (graphemes) that represent them
- understanding English speech sounds (consonant and vowel phoneme systems)
To enable class participants to use scientifically-based assessments to determine phonological and phonemic awareness development in students.
To enable class participants to use assessment data to inform instruction that meets the diverse needs of students.
To enable class participants to transform their theoretical understandings into classroom practices that support students’ phonological and phonemic awareness development, including the use of the following instructional strategies:
- identifying and producing oral rhymes
- identifying and working with onsets and rimes in spoken syllables identifying and working with syllables in spoken words
- identifying and working with individual phonemes in spoken words, including isolating, segmenting, blending, deleting, adding, and substituting

Sessions 4 & 5: Phonics: Research, Assessment, and Instruction

To provide a theoretical understanding of the research supporting the development of phonics knowledge in children, including:
- understanding the “layer cake” concepts of the English spelling system (phoneme-grapheme, syllable pattern, and morpheme units in print)
- understanding the developmental progression in which orthographic knowledge is acquired
- understanding coordinated sequences of instruction of letter-sound relationships, high-frequency words, and irregular word patterns
- understanding how to match instruction in phonetic elements to the selection of reading materials that promotes student practice of those phonetic elements
To enable class participants to use scientifically-based assessments to determine phonics development in students.
To enable class participants to use assessment data to inform instruction that meets the diverse needs of students.
To enable class participants to transform their theoretical understandings into classroom practices that support students’ phonics development, including the use of the following instructional strategies:
- letter and letter-sound identification, including letter clusters and sounds
- the use of letter-sound information (consonants, vowels) to decode and write words
- the use of word structures and patterns (onsets and rimes, syllables, affixes, letter clusters, spelling patterns) to decode and write words

Sessions 6 & 7: Fluency: Research, Assessment, and Instruction

To provide a theoretical understanding of the research supporting the development of reading fluency in children, including:
- the elements of fluent reading (reading rate, word accuracy, automaticity, and prosody)
- understanding the role of fluency in word recognition, oral reading, silent reading, and comprehension of written text
- matching children to the appropriate texts to promote fluent independent oral and silent reading
To enable class participants to use scientifically-based assessments, including timed oral reading fluency checks, to determine fluency development in students.
To enable class participants to use assessment data to inform instruction that meets the diverse needs of students.
To enable class participants to transform their theoretical understandings into classroom practices that support students’ fluency development, including the use of the following instructional strategies:
- modeling fluent oral reading (read aloud) followed by student reading (shared reading)
- modeling reading with expression followed by student reading with expression
- guided oral repeated readings
- tape-assisted reading
- partner reading
- readers’ theatre

Sessions 8 & 9: Vocabulary: Research, Assessment, and Instruction

To provide a theoretical understanding of the research supporting vocabulary development in children, including:
- identification of the four types of vocabulary (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
- connection of oral vocabulary development to reading comprehension
- indirect and direct methods of vocabulary acquisition
- use of varied techniques for vocabulary instruction before, during, and after reading
- principles for word selection for vocabulary instruction
- reasonable goals and expectations for learners at various stages of reading development
To enable class participants to use scientifically-based assessments to determine vocabulary development in students.
To enable class participants to use assessment data to inform instruction that meets the diverse needs of students.
To enable class participants to transform their theoretical understandings into classroom practices that support students’ vocabulary development, including the use of the following instructional strategies:
- indirect methods (daily oral conversations, listening to stories read aloud, and independent reading)
- direct methods (teaching specific words before reading, use of dictionaries and other reference aids, use of word structure information, use of analogy, use of context clues, and repeated exposure to vocabulary in many contexts)
- selection of materials for read alouds, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading that expands students’ vocabulary

Sessions 10 & 11: Comprehension: Research, Assessment, and Instruction

To provide a theoretical understanding of the research supporting the development of comprehension in children, including:
- the similarities and differences between listening comprehension and reading comprehension
- understanding the characteristics of effective reading comprehension, particularly setting reading purposes and using comprehension monitoring strategies
- the need for readers to apply comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading
- the characteristics of major text genres
- text structures, literary devices, and syntax that impact comprehension
- use of direct explanation, modeling, guided practice, and application when teaching comprehension strategies
To enable class participants to use scientifically-based assessments to determine comprehension development in students.
To enable class participants to use assessment data to inform instruction that meets the diverse needs of students.
To enable class participants to transform their theoretical understandings into classroom practices that support students’ comprehension development, including the use of the following instructional strategies:
- comprehension monitoring techniques (i.e. activating prior knowledge, rereading, reading on, making connections, visualizing, predicting, etc.)
- using graphic organizers
- using questioning techniques
- teaching story structures, literary devices, and the characteristics of text genres
- summarizing
- using written responses to text

Session 12: Broad Supports for Literacy

Explore broad supports for literacy instruction that are available to children, families, and educators in Maine (e.g. parent involvement, family literacy services, Head Start, Maine Reads, etc.).

Synthesize course content into core principles to apply to K-3 literacy instruction.

Session Texts

§ Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction Grades K-3 written by Sharon Vaughn and Sylvia Linan-Thompson (2004; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

§ Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success edited by M. Susan Burns, Peg Griffin, and Catherine Snow (1999; National Academy Press)

§ Selected articles and readings

Course Session Framework

Session Components	Approximate Time

Overview of Session Goals	5 minutes
Text Discussion/Application Assignment Shares	20 minutes
Session Content Presentation	30 minutes
Video Viewing and Discussion	15 minutes
Hands-On Application Activities	45 minutes
Session Feedback	5 minutes

Course Requirements

Attendance and participation in class sessions
Reading assignments and 1 reading response sheet for each class session
Application assignments (1 per class session)
‘Visual representation of learning’ project (to be completed for session #17)

Course Credit

Upon successful completion of the Maine Reading First Course, participants will be awarded contact hours. CEUs will not be awarded for the modified version of the Maine Reading First Course.To earn the full 50 contact hours, a course participant must:

Attend all 12 sessions
Complete session readings and 1 reading response sheet for each session
Complete 1 application activity for each session
Complete ‘visual representation of learning’ project as an assignment for session #17

In order to receive a reduced amount of contact hours, a course participant must:

Attend at least 70% of the course sessions (9 of the 12 sessions)
Complete session readings and 1 reading response sheet for 70% of the course sessions (9 of the 12 sessions)
Complete application activities for 70% of the course sessions (9 of the 12 sessions)
Complete ‘visual representation of learning’ project as an assignment for session #17

Reading First Information