Assignment Checklist
Before You Begin
Task |
Assessment |
Complete: Pre-Course Evaluation Survey |
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Session 1
Task |
Assessment |
Getting Started
Reflect: Expectations |
Reflect: Prior Knowledge |
Discuss: Get to Know Each Other |
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Reading, Writing, and Spelling Within an Integrated Language Arts Program
Read: "Reading and Writing Accomplishments of Young Children"
Read: "How Readers and Writers Use Phonics"
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Watch: "Language Experience Approach"
Read: "Orthographic mapping in the acquisition of sight word reading, spelling memory and vocabulary learning"
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Reflect: Instructional implications of teaching phonics and spelling to students in grades K-3 |
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Online Journal Rubric |
Research about Spelling Development and Spelling Instruction
Read: "Questions Teachers Ask About Spelling" |
Read: "A Weekly Procedure for Teaching Spelling" |
Discuss: Advantages and disadvantages of a developmental model of spelling instruction. What does it mean to use a “systematic spelling program?" |
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Discussion Forum Participation Rubric |
Spelling Debate: How Much and What Type of Instruction is Best?
Read: "What Is Our Responsibility in Helping Children Learn to Spell?" |
Read: "A Speller's Bill of Rights: Teaching Writers to Spell"
Read: "Effective reading instruction for struggling readers: The role of direct/explicit teaching"
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Reflect: What changes would you make to your methods of spelling instruction? |
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Online Journal Rubric
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Session 2
Task |
Assessment |
Connecting Spelling Development and Literacy Development
Read: "Explorations in Developmental Spelling: Foundations for Learning and Teaching Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary" |
Read: : Figure 1.14 "Developmental Stages, Characteristics, and Word Study Instruction" from Words Their Way |
Discuss: Models of Word Study |
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Discussion Forum Participation Rubric |
Identifying Developmental Spelling Stages: Analyze Student Writing
Explore: Analyze Student Writing Interactive |
Read: "Word Study Instruction in the K-2 Classroom” |
Reflect: Is it more important to focus on word accuracy or content in grades K-3? |
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Online Journal Rubric
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Integrating Spelling in Reading and Writing Activities
Read: "Teaching Rimes with Shared Reading” |
Read: "Strategy Instruction during Word Study and Interactive Writing Activities" Read: "Figure 1 in “Interactive Writing in the Primary Classroom” |
Reflect: What are your experiences of using classroom discussions about print with your students? Or: What are your questions and concerns about using classroom discussions about print with your students? |
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Online Journal Rubric
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Assessment of Student Spelling Assignment
Complete: Examination of Student Spelling Samples Explore: PBS websites for Home-School Connections |
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Examination of Student Spelling Samples Rubric
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Session 3
Task |
Assessment |
Building a Knowledge Base in Spelling
Read: "Building a Knowledge Base in Spelling" |
Discuss: Do you agree or disagree with Wilde that teaching spelling is not about teaching skills, but instead is aimed at building a knowledge base in spelling? State the rationale for your position and discuss its implications for your literacy curriculum. |
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Discussion Forum Participation Rubric |
Integrated Spelling Instruction
Read: "Word Study Groups: Analyzing Words for Their Phonetic, Structural, and Morphemic Features" |
Reflect: Whose approach, Wilde or Taberski’s, will best approach the needs of your students or prospective students? Write about the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. |
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Online Journal Rubric
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Instructional Activities for Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage
Watch: Phonological Patterns: Finding Patterns in Books |
Read: Lesson Plan demonstrated in the video Read: Summary of Sequence of Word Study for Letter Name – Alphabetic Stage |
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Within-Word Patterns Activities
Activity: Work on the Within Word Sorting activity. (This is self graded, no rubric.)
Reflect: Instructional Activities for Letter Name – Alphabetic Stage and Within-Word Patterns Stage
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Explore: Technology Integration |
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Spelling Instruction at the Syllable Juncture Stage
Read: "Integrated Word Study: Spelling, Grammar, and Meaning in the Language Arts Classroom"
Complete: Spelling Instruction Activity Assignment for Peer Review
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Spelling Instruction Activity Rubric
Peer Review Guidelines
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Session 4
Task |
Assessment |
Assessments That Lead to Informed Teaching
Read: "Getting Started: The Assessment of Orthographic Knowledge" (pp. 23-47) |
Discuss: Assessing students' spelling skills and planning for individual needs |
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Discussion Forum Participation Rubric |
Using Assessment to Focus Instruction
Read: The remainder of “Getting Started: The Assessment of Orthographic Knowledge" (Words Their Way, pp. 23-47)
Activity: Sample Practice (Words Their Way, pp. 33-34) in “Getting Started: The Assessment of Orthographic Knowledge" (This is self graded. Upon completion, see results at the botton of p.34.)
Discuss: Your impressions about using informed observation and developmental feature spelling analysis as a means of planning differentiated instruction. What do you see as the advantages and the disadvantages?
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Technology and Young Students
Read: "Technology and Teaching Students to Read" |
Read: "The Issues: The Internet and the Early Childhood Classroom" |
Explore: Apps for Supporting Phonics and Spelling Instruction with Struggling Students |
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Planning for Instruction Using Spelling Features
Complete: Planning for Instructiong Using Spelling Features
Informal Assessments with Interactive Games
Explore: Interactive games from PBS
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Spelling Feature Analysis and Instruction Plan Rubric
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Session 5
Task |
Assessment |
Increasing Literacy Achievement for All Students
Read: "Balanced Literacy"
Read: “Critical elements of classroom and small-group instruction promote reading success in all children”
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Watch: Vowel Teams: Examples and Best Practices |
Discuss: Methods that enable teachers to implement balanced literacy and direct instruction, particularly for those who do not learn word level skills readily. |
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Discussion Forum Participation Rubric |
Instructional Interventions for Struggling Students
Read: "Beginning to Decode"
Read: "Analyzing Words and Making Discoveries About the Alphabetic System: Activities for Beginning Readers"
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Reflect: Reflect on specific methods you might use to support the literacy skills of students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. |
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Online Journal Rubric
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Supportive Environments for English Language Learners
Read: "Focus on Research: Using What We Know About Language and Literacy Development for ESL Students in the Mainstream Classroom" |
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Meeting Students' Individual Needs
Complete: Lesson plan for an ELL or struggling reader and post for peer review. |
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Lesson Plan Rubric
Peer Review Guidelines
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Session 6
Task |
Assessment |
Final Project: A Case Study of a Student in Grades K-3
Complete: 1. Summary of student's background, attitudes, and progress in developing literacy 2. Analysis of data, determination of spelling stage, instructional needs 3. Develop one-week lesson plan based on assessment |
Discuss: Review peers' lesson plans
Submit: Final Project
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Final Project Rubric
Discussion Forum Participation Rubric
Peer Review Guidelines
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Look Back
Reflect: What knowledge did you acquire? |
Reflect: How does this new knowledge affect your professional goals and expectations? |
Complete: Post-Course Evaluation Survey |
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