The University of Texas at El Paso

Language & Reading for Special Learners

Course Information

Class hours: Mondays, 5:00 PM – 7:50 PM

Prefix: SPED 3345

CRN: 12683

Room: 203 College of Education

Semester: Fall 2011

Course Instructor

Name: Deborah Reed, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Educational Psychology and Special Services

Office: 702 College of Education

Office Phone: 747-8661

Secretary Phone: 747-7637

Office Hours: Mondays 8:00 – 8:30 AM and 12:00 – 4:30 PM; Tuesdays 3:30 – 4:30 PM; and by appointment.

Email:

Course Description

Designed to provide special education teachers with an understanding of concepts and procedures for encouraging language development, and for teaching reading and other major content areas to students with disabilities. Specific field experience is required. Prerequisite: SPED 3310.

Course Objectives

Students will:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of techniques to teach word attack and reading comprehension skills to learners with special needs at various performance levels and age levels.
  2. Demonstrate ability to assess, plan, and provide reading and language arts instruction for student with reading difficulties.
  3. Develop appropriate learning environments and learning plans for math instruction, and for instruction in content areas such as science and social studies for learners at varying age and ability levels.

Learner Outcomes

  1. LO1 Understanding Individuals with Disabilities and Evaluating Their Needs
  1. Special Education EC-12 Standard IV: The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of the characteristics and needs of individuals with disabilities.
  2. Special Education EC-12 Standard V: The special education teacher understands formal and informal assessment procedures and knows how to evaluate student competencies to make instructional decisions.
  1. LO2 Promoting Student Learning and Development
  1. Special Education EC-12 Standard VI: The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of procedures for planning instruction and managing teaching and learning environments.
  2. Special Education EC-12 Standard X: The special education promotes students’ academic performance in all content areas by facilitating their achievement in a variety of settings and situations.
  1. LO3 Promoting Student Achievement in English Language Arts, Reading, and Mathematics
  1. Special Education EC-12 Standard XI: The special education teacher promotes students’ performance in English language arts and reading.
  2. Special Education EC-12 Standard XII: The special education teacher promotes students’ performance in mathematics.
  1. LO4 Foundations and Professional Roles and Responsibilities
  1. Special Education EC-12 Standard III: The special education teacher knows how to communicate and collaborate effectively in a variety of professional settings.

Evidence of Impact

Students will be administered a pre-post exam entitled “Teacher Knowledge of Reading.” This exam covers basic dimensions of reading knowledge and instruction necessary for certification and professional development in the State of Texas. Students are encouraged to use this test as a gauge of their current knowledge about reading instruction, and use it as a way to recognize areas for their personal improvement. The scope of pre-post student performance on this test will be used as evidence of instructional impact of the curriculum implemented in SPED 3345.

Online Course Information

There will be an online Blackboard website that will be used in conjunction with this course. The address for that site is:

Once you open the website, login with your UTEP username and password. The course blackboard site will be a repository for assignments, handouts, readings and other material essential for the successful completion of the course. Please note that you should be on campus when you first use the website, and that you should also activate a VPN address if you wish to utilize the website from off campus. More information about the course website will be provided during class.

College of Education Vision, Mission & Goals

The long-term vision of the UTEP College of Education is to expand interdisciplinary research to meet the compelling need for research linking teaching and learning to meet the critical challenges of education in the 21st century. This vision includes the strengthening the role of the College of Education in linking the U.S. and Mexico in building collaborative relationships to enhance current educational theory and practice.

The mission of the College of Education is to prepare effective teachers, counselors, diagnosticians, and school administrators, who successfully address the problems of schools and other youth serving agencies, especially in communities with a significant Hispanic population.

Respect for Diversity

It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socio-economic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are appreciated and important to me. It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a valuable resource, strength, and benefit. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. I have attempted to avoid conflicts with major religious holidays. If I have inadvertently scheduled an exam or major deadline that creates a conflict with your religious observances, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can make other arrangements.

Disabled Student Statement

In Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if a student needs an accommodation then the Office of Disabled Student Services located at UTEP need to be contacted. If you have a condition, which may affect your ability to perform successfully in this course, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the director of the Disabled Student Services. You may call 915.747.5148 for general information about the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the rights that you have as a UTEP student with a disability. You also can visit the DSSO website at or the DSSO office in Room 108 East Union Building.

Individuals with disabilities have the right to equal access and opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor and The Disabled Student Services Office at The University of Texas at El Paso.

Required Texts

Reutzel, D. R.,Cooter, R. B. (2012).Teaching Children to Read: The Teacher Makes the Difference (6thed.). Boston, MA:Allyn & Bacon.

In addition you will be reading various short articles in print, online, and PDF electronic format provided by your instructor.

Attendance Policy

This course requires your active participation in discussion and cooperative activities. If you have an excessive amount of unexcused or excused absences or tardies, your final grade will reflect your lack of participation. Leaving early from class will count as an absence. Arriving very late to a class will count as an absence. Spending class time doing other activities (including texting, surfing the web, working on other assignments) will count as an absence. Attendance will be taken at each class. More than two absences can be considered excessive and could result in your being dropped from the class. Deduct ten points from your overall grade for each absence beyond the two allotted excused and unexcused absences. Excused absences will need to be documented in writing through a note from your doctor that specifies the exact time and date of your required absence, or a letter from your coach that specifies your participation in a scheduled out-of-town game. A personal phone call, email, or a note from a friend does not constitute an excused absence. I appreciate being informed about any special circumstance that may prevent you from participating in the class. It is always a good idea to let me know about an absence before it occurs.

Classroom Participation

I expect everyone to complete all assigned readings and assignments on time as specified by the syllabus schedule. Any assignments handed in beyond the due date will be marked “late” and reduce the overall point average that determines your grade. Timely completion of all assigned readings and assignments is expected. Due to the amount of dialogue and in-class instruction, active class participation is required. Be prepared to share your work in class. Students who are unwilling to share their work, or who avoid sharing their work by not having it ready, will have points deducted from their overall average.

Professional Behavior

This is a professional development class designed to prepare you for a career in education. I expect each student to participate in the class in a professional manner. Negative behavior will not be tolerated in class and could result in an administrative drop at the instructor’s discretion. Please do not use cell phones or text messaging during class. If you absolutely must take a call during class, plan to step outside to do so. It is a good idea to let me know ahead of time that you will need to leave the class to take a call.

Course Communication

I normally respond to emails sent to my utep.edu account within 48 hours or sooner. Please allow a reasonable amount of time for me to reply to your email. You are also welcome to meet with me in person during normal office hours during the day.

Effective Electronic Communications

It is important to share a word of caution, so we can become wiser about interpersonal distance learning communications. When communicating electronically, many of the feelings or impressions that are transmitted via body language in face-to-face communications are lost. Consequently, interpreting emotions and innuendos is much more difficult. Only what is written, or drawn, carries the message. Often, excitement can be misinterpreted as anger or insult. It is important that we all keep this in mind as we communicate. Words in print may seem harmless, but they could emotionally injure us when working at a distance. Hence, it is vitally important that we are conscious of how we communicate while working at a distance.For example, avoid the use of caps in your electronic messages, as wording in caps comes across as shouting.

The standard practice ("Netiquette") for participation in networked discussion requires that all participation be focused on the topic at hand, not become personalized, and be substantive in nature. (Translation: you may certainly disagree with others, but you must do so respectfully; you may express strong beliefs or emotions, but you may not get so carried away that you lose all perspective on the course itself. More information on Netiquette, the etiquette of Internet communication, can be found at .

Time Management

The rule of thumb for time planning for a course is approximately three (3) hours for every credit hour taken. This is a standard figure recommended across the board by American universities. For a 3 credit course, course you should expect to spend:

3 hours of class time + 9 hours of study and prep time = 12 hours per week.

Computer Requirements

First, let's make sure your computer has the necessary plug-ins you will need to access all the content in this course. Next, please utilize the Blackboard Browser checker and fix any discrepancies. In addition, you will need the following software on your computers to efficiently work in this, or other, online courses. In some cases your computer may already have some of these programs installed.

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader: You can get the program by going to and then clicking on the icon on the center of the screen which says “Get Adobe Reader”. Follow instructions to install the reader.
  • Adobe Flash Player: You can get the player by going to and then clicking on “Get Adobe Flash Player”. Follow instructions to install the player.
  • Microsoft Office: I recommend buying this if you do not have any word processing software or presentation software. As students, you can generally buy this whole package for about $25, far less than the store price of approximately $400.

Assignments and Grading

The instructor reserves the option to change scheduled class topics, assignments, grade percentages, and due dates. Additional quizzes may be given if deemed necessary. No late work will be accepted.

  1. Weekly Assignments (40% of grade)

There will be multiple-choice quizzes on each reading assignment. Quizzes are on Blackboard in the “Assessments” section. You are able to retake the quizzes up to 3 times, but you must complete the quizzes by the start of class on the day the reading is due. You are encouraged to use your textbook and other readings when taking the quizzes. However, you may NOT consult other students. Please refer to the section on Academic Integrity as a reminder of the expectations for your work.

Other assignments are done in class and may include short written responses. These will be used as the basis for discussion with your classmates.

  1. Small Group Presentations (30% of grade)

Each student will prepare two informal presentations: one on a phonics topic and one on a spelling rule. The informal presentation will be delivered in a small-group of 3 students for the phonics topic and 5 students for the spelling rule. Presentations will address the questions outlined in the agenda.

  1. Observation of Reading Instruction & Assessment (10% of grade)

Each student will observe, at least,one classroom teacher administering reading assessments and one teacher delivering reading instruction. You should plan for a minimum45 minutes of observing each time, for a total of 1.5 hours.The observations will be purposeful and will adhere to an observation form provided by the instructor. The best observation form will be submitted for grading. Please note that the observations are intended as learning experiences for pre-service candidates, not as venues for harshly critiquing in-service teachers. Professional behavior expected of candidates includes:

  1. Dressing according to the standards for teachers in that school
  2. Arriving at the school with adequate time to sign-in and find the classroom prior to the start of the observation period
  3. Introducing yourself to the teacher being observed
  4. Completely turning off your cell phone (this means powering down, not simply using the vibrate option)
  5. Maintaining a respectful demeanor while in the classroom (e.g., displaying a pleasant expression, showing interest in the lesson/activity, taking notes in a calm manner)
  6. Staying in the classroom during the entire observation period
  7. Responding or participating if invited/asked by the teacher
  8. Thanking the teacher after the observation period
  1. Classroom Participation (20% of grade)

At the end of the course, you will be assigned a participation grade based on how well you engaged the class in terms of your verbal and non-verbal participation. Positive classroom participation that can result in a higher grade would include sharing informed insights about the readings, displaying collegiality among your peers, working constructively toward a clearer understanding of the topic under discussion. Negative participation, unprofessionalbehavior, and/or late assignments will result in a lower grade.

Grading Scale

90 – 100% A

80 – 89% B

70 – 79% C

60 – 69% D

59% – below F

Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is highly valued at UTEP. All work submitted should represent your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas are used that are not the student’s own, proper citations should be used to denote other sources consulted. Academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, submission of work created in whole or part by another person without proper citations, failure to complete work as a group member without advising the instructor of this failure, and taking an examination or writing a paper for another person. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be referred to the appropriate Dean. Proven violations may result in sanctions ranging from a failing grade on the assignment in question, failure of the course, to suspension or dismissal from school. Please consult the Handbook of Operating Procedures available through the Office of the Dean of Students for further information.

A Tentative Assignment Schedule
Week / Date / Readings & Activities / Assignments
1 / Aug. 22 / Class Introduction / • Syllabus quiz to be done in class
• Reciprocal interview
2 / Aug. 29 / Chapter 2 (Oral Language) / • Take quiz* on chapters: DUE BY CLASS TIME
3 / Sep. 5 / Chapters 3 (Early Reading Instruction) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
4 / Sep. 12 / Chapter 4 (Phonics and Word Recognition) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
5 / Sep. 19 / Prepare to teach your group members about a phonics topic:
  • Vowel digraphs and diphthongs
  • Consonant digraphs and blends
  • Voiced, unvoiced, and silent consonants
/ • Be prepared to explain the following on your phonics topic:
  • What are they (definition)?
  • How do you recognize them?
  • What letters/letter combinations do they include?
  • How are they pronounced?
  • When should students learn them?
  • How are they taught?

6 / Sep. 26 / Chapter 5 (Fluency) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
7 / Oct.3 / Chapter 6 (Vocabulary) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
8 / Oct.10 / Chapter 7 (Reading Comprehension) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
9 / Oct. 17 / NO CLASS MEETING:
Observations
Online training Progress Monitoring:
(in web links on Blackboard) / • Email your observation report and bring your documentation form (1.5 hours) to class
• Take quiz 1 and 2 (embedded in the self-study module) and print results pages to bring to me
10 / Oct. 24 / Chapter 8 (Writing) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
11 / Oct.31 / Spelling articles on Blackboard
Prepare to teach your group members about a spelling rule:
  • Rabbit
  • FLoSS
  • Double
  • Drop
  • Change
/ • Be prepared to explain the following on your phonics topic:
  • What are they (definition/explanation)?
  • How do you know when they apply to a word?
  • Are there any important exceptions to the rule?
  • When should students learn them?
  • How are they taught?

12 / Nov.7 / Chapter 9 (Interventions) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
13 / Nov. 14 / Chapter 10 (Assessment) / • Take quiz* on chapter: DUE BY CLASS TIME
14 / Nov.21 / Chapter 11 (Effective Instruction K-3) / • Take quiz* on chapters: DUE BY CLASS TIME
15 / Nov. 28
Last day of class / Chapter 12 (Effective Instruction 4-8) / • Take quiz* on chapters: DUE BY CLASS TIME
Final: Teacher Knowledge of Reading (on Blackboard)
Due by 8 PM on Monday, December 5th. You are encouraged to use your textbook, other readings, and notes to develop your answers. However, you may NOT consult other students. Please refer to the section on Academic Integrity as a reminder of the expectations for your work.

All quizzes and tests are accessible via Blackboard in the Assessments folder.