Assessment 2: Theoretical Perspectives Project (LTCY 7027 Theory to Practice: Models of Literacy)

This project is designed to provide you with a forum for demonstrating your knowledge of major models/theories/perspectives of reading and writing processes and development. As a result of this project, you will have a working knowledge of these theories/perspectives. Further, you will understand the ways in which they connect with your current instructional and assessment practices, as well as other practices that are commonly used in the field. Your project will have three components, as discussed below, and will be 10 – 15 pages in length.

Organization of Project. This project consists of 5 brief, but substantive, perspective papers. The first four papers are “Perspectives in the Field” papers. The fifth paper is a “Perspectives in My Professional Life” paper. Each of the papers will be 2-3 pages in length, for a total project length of approximately 10 – 15 pages.

Perspectives in the Field Papers. Your first four papers are devoted to historical and current perspectives on reading and writing that fall within the following broad categories:

  • Cognitive (Paper 1)
  • Linguistic (Paper 2)
  • Sociocultural (Paper 3)
  • Motivational (Paper 4)

Within each paper, describe the following:

  • A definition of the broad category (i.e., cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, or motivational) and a description of the major perspectives (e.g., schema theory, reader response theory, critical theory) that are addressed within this category. For each perspective, tell why you have put it into this category. (1/2 – 3/4 page)
  • A description and example of how this category of perspectives addresses students experiencing reading/writing difficulty, including a potential source of difficulty and implications for instruction (1/2 – 3/4 page)
  • An example of how this category of perspectives links to practice. Describe an instructional, assessment, or professional development practice that reflects this category of perspectives. (1/2 – ¾ page)
  • A historical perspective on this category of perspectives: Where have we been, where are we now, and where are we going as a field with respect to the perspectives within this category? (1/2 – 3/4 page)

Perspectives in My Professional Life Paper. Your final paper focuses on your individual, evolving perspectives on the key processes shaping reading and writing Within this paper, describe the following:

  • A description of your model or theory of literacy and its connection to theoretical perspectives in the field. If someone were to ask you to explain what’s happening when someone reads and writes, how would you describe the process? Which theories/models/perspectives are foregrounded in your personal professional perspective? (3/4 – 1 page)Your description must include your explicit definition of literacy and it may include:
  • Its own descriptive name (e.g., The Reading Pyramid; The Solar System of Reading; Reading is a Train; Gears in Motion: The Multimodal Information Processing Model of Reading)
  • A visual or graphic to help illustrate it
  • An analogy or metaphor to help frame it
  • Non-textual media to help explain or illustrate it
  • A description of how your model/theory links to practice. Write one fully-developed, exemplar (i.e., the best example you can come up with rather than just any example). What is happening in the classroom that reflects your model? What is the teacher doing? What are students doing? What materials are available? How are students grouped? Consider the instructional elements most important in bringing your model to practice, and describe them. (3/4 – 1 page)
  • A historical perspective on your model/theory. Describe how your model/theory is different and/or similar to the perspectives conveyed in your Thoughts on Reading Page, completed at the beginning of the course. How do you see your evolving perspectives influencing your practice? (1/2 – 1 page)