Lipscomb University College of Education

Emergent Literacy EG 5753 Spring 2013 Professor: Mrs. Melanie Maxwell Work Phone: (615) 966-5040 Home Phone: (615) 545-0260 Office: Bennett 310 Email: melanie.maxwell@lipscomb.edu Meeting Times: Meeting Place: 5:30-9:30 (Thursdays) Ezell 155 Office Hours: Monday 10:00-5:00 Thursday 1:30-5:00 Others By Appointment

Course Description:
This course focuses on how early language practices and environment from birth to age five impact how a child learns to read and write. Theories of language development, cognition, and learning will be highlighted along with study and application of various systems of language to the reading and writing processes. Course objectives include teaching phonemic awareness and phonics with an emphasis on speech production, teaching writing along with reading through children's literature, understanding early literacy assessment tools, utilizing a variety of instructional groupings, and creating lifelong readers by focusing on story, vocabulary and comprehension. Special attention will be given to literacy acquisition for students from a wide-range of cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds. Course objectives and topics are aligned with Tennessee reading specialist standards and the International Reading Associations standards for reading professionals (2010).

Course Purpose and Rationale:

The more teachers understand about how children learn to talk, the more they can help children become avid, joyful readers and writers. The purpose of this course is to develop students knowledge of how language and reading are acquired by young children and the relationship between them. An understanding of language development concepts and theories will be enhanced through the examination of language achievements by age and include emergent literacy and models for early reading skill development. Students will apply understanding of pragmatic, syntactic, morphemic, phonemic, semantic, and graphemic systems of language to reading and writing processes. Individual differences in cultural, social, and linguistic backgrounds will be examined against instructional

approaches in order to maximize language and reading outcomes. Students will demonstrate their in-depth understanding and analyses of concepts and constructs applied to important issues that have implications for the home, school, and community.

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: Learning Objectives Identify and understand the current theory, research and practices about how children acquire language and literacy. Demonstrate an understanding of orthography, morphology, syntax and semantic systems and their relationship to language, speech, and cognition. Assess and use various literacy approaches with attention to differentiated strategies designed to meet the needs of all learners in a heterogeneous classroom. Employ pedagogical practices instructional techniques that develop readers and writers from a range of linguistic and cultural How Delivered Lecture, guest presentation, power point, reflective discussion, participatory engagement How Assessed
Class participation, Praxis based multiplechoice assessment

C.A.R.E. Connection 1a, 1k, 4a

Lecture, small group Praxis based multiplechoice assessment, discussion, article case studies, reviews

4a, 4c

Lecture, guest presentation, reflective discussion, participatory engagement

Critique/Reflective Writing, lesson plan, teaching assessment

1b, 1c, 1f, 1k

Lecture, guest presentation, power point, reflective discussion, participatory engagement

Case Studies, lesson plan, teaching assessment

1f, 1g, 1h, 1j, 1k, 4d

backgrounds. Evaluate individual students strengths and weaknesses in the areas of early reading and writing readiness and skills

Lecture, guest presentation, field experience

Reading Intervention Plan, case studies

4d, 4e

Instructional Resources:
Required Texts: Genishi & Dyson (2009). Children, Language and Literacy. Teachers College Press ISBN 978-0-8007-4974-6 Horn & Giacobbe (2007). Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers. Stenhouse. ISBN: 978-1-57110-456-4 Required Supplies: Index Cards(bring to each class) Learning Log: composition book, spriral notebook, laptop or your choice Suggested Readings: Cunningham, Patricia M. (2004). Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing (4th ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Berk, L. E. (2006). Chapter 9 - Language Development. In Child Development (8th ed., pp. 356395). Pearson. (Original work published 1989) Naomi S. Baron, Growing up with Language: How Children Learn to Talk (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1992), p. 41-43, ISBN 0-201-55080-6 Chomsky Noam (1959). A Review of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior Language, 35: 2658. Crystal, D. (2006). How babies babble, words change meaning, and languages live or die. New York: The Overlook Press. Power, B.M., & Hubbard, R.S. (2002). Language development: A reader for teachers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Johnston, P.H. (2004) Choice Words: How our language affects childrens learning. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Fisher, B. (1998). Joyful learning in kindergarten. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Course Assignments:
Attendance Policy: Since this class meets only eight times, attendance is critical. Please contact the instructor with as much advanced notice as possible if you will not be attending a class. It is important to note that many of the required assignments will be completed in class.

Course Assignments with Due Dates:

ASSIGNMENT TITLE Type of Assignment (note if Spiritual Growth, Key or Field Experience) DUE DATE: Percentage of Grade or Point Value Feb. 21
Weekly

Case Study: Emergent Key Assignment Literacy Assessments Writing to Learn Reflections Picture Book Exploration, Bibliography Poster Presentations Field Experience Course assignment Course assignment

30
20

Feb. 7

20

Course assignment

See Sign Up Sheet

30 Pass/Fail

Documentation of Field Experience Feb. 21 Hours (hard copy and LiveText) with Summary and Reflection

Field Experiences: Each masters level course in the College of Education requires a field experience that is expected to take five (5) to ten (10) hours (a minimum of 50hours by graduation. These field experiences must be completed to be successful in the course and are designed to support the expected program outcomes. Definition: NCATE defines field experiences as: A variety of early and ongoing fieldbased opportunities in which candidates may observe, assist, tutor, instruct, and/or conduct research. Field experiences may occur in off-campus settings such as schools, community centers, or homeless shelters. Field experiences are defined as authentic workplace based learning experiences. It should be a way to learn by doing and to practice skills learned in your coursework. Because the College of Education is committed to equipping our students for diverse experiences, we ask that you complete your field experiences with schools or districts in

varied classifications (low SES, urban, suburban, rural and cross-cultural), and with different student populations (ELL, Special Education, etc.). This diversity of experience should be evident on your field experience data form in LiveText by the time you graduate. A Field Experience Documentation and Data Form is required of each student for each course. These forms are available in the online LiveText portfolio template. Spiritual Growth: The College of Education seeks to provide opportunities for personal, professional and spiritual growth through student experiences here. One avenue for spiritual growth through the program here is by establishing a thoughtful dialogue among students and faculty centered on a common text. The college uses Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (preferred text: ISBN 0060652926) as this common ground for exploration of spiritual contexts and applications for learning. LiveText Portfolio Requirements: All graduate students who entered the program in Fall 2009 and after are required to have a LiveText portfolio account. Instructions for purchasing LiveText are found at http://education.lipscomb.edu/Uploads/34941.pdf. As all students must use this portfolio system, you are encouraged to become familiar with it at the beginning of this course. Detailed instructions and tutorials for using LiveText are found at: http://education.lipscomb.edu/page.asp?SID=28&Page=9159. Your classroom management plan is considered a KEY ASSIGNMENT. This assignment must be completed satisfactorily to pass the course and it will be uploaded in to your LiveText portfolio to demonstrate mastery of your program goals. You are responsible for uploading the assignment to LiveText after the instructor has graded it. Your final grade will not be posted until this is complete. Grading and Late Work: Grading criteria for all assignments will be communicated at the beginning of the course. If you are experiencing circumstances that will prevent you from turning in an assignment on time, you should notify the instructor immediately via email, text message, or phone call. Late work will not receive full credit. College of Education Grading Scale A 94-100 B 86-93 C 77-85 F 0-76 The Conceptual Framework of C.A.R.E: Lipscombs conceptual framework for the initial and advanced programs is built upon four categories: Craft of Teaching Attitudes and Values Relationships Essential Knowledge The first letter of each category provides the theme of Lipscomb's initial and advanced

programs: C.A.R.E. The College of Education believes that this conceptual framework provides the structure within which all educational programs can sustain a high level of excellence so that its candidates will be of the highest quality. It is shared widely within the university and beyond. Each student will receive a copy of the C.A.R.E Framework. Your LiveText portfolio will reflect ways in which your program of study fit within this framework. Academic Integrity: In keeping with our identity as a Christian University and our goal to help shape lifelong disciples of Christ, academic integrity will be taken very seriously in this course. Unless specific permission is given to collaborate on assignments with other students, each students work shall be his/her own. Cheating on assignments and plagiarizing on written assignments will, depending on the severity of the case, result in penalties ranging from a significantly reduced grade on the assignment to failing the course. Instances of cheating or plagiarism may also be reported to appropriate members of the administration, depending on the situation. Decisions in these matters rest with the instructor. Please refer to Lipscombs Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy. University Evaluations and C.A.R.E Assessments: It is part of your responsibility as a student to participate in university evaluations and C.A.R.E assessments of your course and faculty. You will receive an email toward the end of the course with instructions on how to complete the university evaluations and you will receive further instructions from your instructor on how to complete the C.A.R.E. assessments. Students Requiring Accommodations: If you require classroom accommodations for a documented disability, please discuss your circumstances with me immediately. If you are entitled to accommodations but have not yet registered with the Counseling Center, contact that office at 966-1781 immediately. Dropping the Course: A decision to stop attending class does NOT constitute dropping the course. A drop/add form (available in the Registrar's Office) must be signed by the teacher and processed in the Registrar's Office before the drop is official. If your name appears on the roster at grading time and you have not officially dropped the course, a grade will be assigned based upon the policies outlined in this syllabus. Class Schedule Disruption Policy Except in the rarest of instances, Lipscomb University does not cancel classes or close offices. However, should an event (weather-related or otherwise) occur that requires disruption of the entire Lipscomb University class schedule, students will be notified via multiple venues including the Lipscomb homepage (www.lipscomb.edu), a text message sent through LU ALERT (http://lualert.lipscomb.edu), and the Lipscomb Weather Information Line (966-1836). For information on possible snow-related closures or late

starts, students should consult local television stations (2-WKRN, 4-WSMV, 5-WTVF and 6-WZTV, and Channel 9 on campus). Students should look for information regarding Lipscomb University, not David Lipscomb Campus Schools. APA Format: Formal papers submitted for graduate coursework should follow American Psychological Association (APA) for general guidelines, in-text citations of materials, avoiding plagiarism, and reference pages from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition. Each instructor will be provided a desk copy of APA: The Easy Way!, Second Edition, a simplified guide that has been updated for the sixth edition (ISBN 0923568964). Students are asked to purchase a copy of this publication. Other helpful resources for APA guidelines and formatting include the following websites: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796 College of Education Writing Rubric: The College of Education has a writing rubric for general use with written assignments. This rubric is consistent for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Students who have difficulty with graduate level writing will be asked to do some remediation with the university Writing Lab.

C.A.R.E. (Initial) Lipscombs Teacher education program is committed to preparing educators who 1. Practice their CRAFT in an exemplary manner by adapting instruction based on assessment data communicating rationale for choices thinking reflectively and critically and fostering the same traits in students successfully integrating current technology to present and enhance instruction implementing problem solving skills encouraging and motivating student learning organizing and managing the learning environment analyzing situations and making sound decisions developing and refining a personal philosophy of teaching and learning adapting instruction to meet needs of diverse learner using various strategies to effectively convey concepts 2. Possess the following ATTITUDES AND VALUES: all children can learn learning is a lifelong process wellness and a healthy lifestyle is valuable teachers must teach confidently and enthusiastically a strong work ethic and commitment to education is important attention is given to punctual completion of assignments, tasks and duties initiates on-going professional development and self-improvement exhibits joy of teaching coping skills such as flexibility and a sense of humor 3. RELATE to all members of communities within the educational experience to improve student learning and well-being by demonstrating a respect for and appreciation of cultural diversity and individual differences comfortably and effectively relating to and communicating with all students, parents, and colleagues providing opportunities for increased cultural awareness collaborating and partnering with others to achieve a common goal demonstrating professional behavior at all times utilizing community personnel and resources listening to and appropriately responding to feedback being a caring teacher 4. Demonstrate ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE concerning the discipline being taught general knowledge of other disciplines location and use of resources developmental stages and learning theories and their impact on teaching and learning evaluation and assessment tools understanding and application of current research planning for short term and long term instruction appropriate written and verbal communication