ENGLISH 701 - Fall and Spring Semesters
Theoretical Backgrounds of Reading Instruction at the Community College and College Levels

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The goal of this seminar is to provide a knowledge base of information on how best to teach reading to post-secondary students. While the course begins by introducing basic information on the reading process, the major emphasis will be on exploring how this information can be used to influence secondary and college-level reading instruction. Topics to be reviewed are current theories and research on the physiological, psychological and linguistic processes involved in developing basic and advanced reading-writing skills of the older adult learner, a major emphasis on the role of prior knowledge and the reader's "schemata" in developing reading comprehension skill, general linguistic processes involved in developing reading, the relationships between reading and writing and reasoning skills, and integration of theory with practice.

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Texts:

Ruddell and Unrah, (Eds.). (2004). Theoretical models and processes of reading, 5th ed., International Reading Association.

Course Reader: Vol. 1. (Purchase from SFSU Bookstore); Vol. ll Electronic Reader, (Library EReserve)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

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English 709 - Fall Semester
Seminar in Teaching Integrated Reading/Writing

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Seminar in Teaching Integrated Reading/Writing is a required course for M.A. Composition and Certificate Candidates (both Composition and Reading Certificates) who wish to teach at the basic writing level at San Francisco State University.

The need for a fully integrated approach to reading and writing instruction is evidenced by over twenty years of administration of the CSU English Placement Test and confirmed by research dating back to the early 1970s on open admissions students in basic writing classes. Cumulatively, this evidence suggests a causal link between underpreparation in reading and underpreparation in writing. This 2-semester seminar will explore the integration of reading and writing from both a theoretical and pedagogical perspective. We will: 1) survey major theories of reading and writing as well as contemporary innovations in teaching reading and writing as an integrated “composing” process; 2) investigate and review recent research examining the relationship between reading and writing; 3) put what we have learned about the relationship of reading and writing into practice by evaluating and designing integrated reading/writing curricula and establishing criteria for successful classroom practice; and 4) rely on your tutorial and observational experiences and student writing to provide concrete underpinnings for theoretical and pedagogical issues.

In the first semester, the focus will be on integrating reading and writing at the developmental or basic writing level, focusing in particular on teaching developmental reading and courses at San Francisco State

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Texts

D. Bartholomae & A. Petrosky, (1986). Facts, artifacts and counterfacts: Theory and method for a reading and writing course. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

Kutz, E., S.Q. Groden, & V. Zamel, (1993). The discovery of competence: Teaching and learning with diverse student writers. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

McCormick, K., The culture of reading and teaching of English. New York: Manchester University Press.
M.P. Shaughnessy, (1977). Errors and expectations. New York: Oxford UP.

Course Reader, Vol. 1 (available at SFSU Bookstore); Electronic Reader, Vol. II. (SFSU On-line)

In addition, we will provide desk copies for each of you to use throughout the course:

W.S. Robinson & S. Tucker, (1997). Texts and contexts: A contemporary approach to college writing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Gillotte, H.P. and Gregory, J. (2000). Reading across American cultures. Pub Info

Other: Tutoring and Observation - Each student who is not currently a practicing teacher or who is not already tutoring students in the English Tutoring Center will work for two hours a week FOR ONE SEMESTER tutoring students in SFSU’s Accelerated English program. Also, each student will be required to observe one of our accelerated English classes for a period of no less than four weeks.

NOTE: You may elect to complete the tutoring and observation requirement concurrently (during the same semester), or if you prefer, you can elect to complete the observation requirement during one semester, and the tutoring requirement during the other semester.

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English 710 - Spring Semester
Seminar in Teaching Integrated Reading/Writing

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Seminar in Teaching Integrated Reading/Writing is a required course for M.A. Composition and Certificate Candidates (both Composition and Reading Certificates) who wish to teach at the basic writing level at San Francisco State University.

The need for a fully integrated approach to reading and writing instruction is evidenced by over twenty years of administration of the CSU English Placement Test and confirmed by research dating back to the early 1970s on open admissions students in basic writing classes. Cumulatively, this evidence suggests a causal link between underpreparation in reading and underpreparation in writing. This 2-semester seminar will explore the integration of reading and writing from both a theoretical and pedagogical perspective. We will: 1) survey major theories of reading and writing as well as contemporary innovations in teaching reading and writing as an integrated “composing” process; 2) investigate and review recent research examining the relationship between reading and writing; 3) put what we have learned about the relationship of reading and writing into practice by evaluating and designing integrated reading/writing curricula and establishing criteria for successful classroom practice; and 4) rely on your tutorial and observational experiences and student writing to provide concrete underpinnings for theoretical and pedagogical issues.

In the second semester, we will open our exploration to include integrated reading/writing curricula at a range of levels, from high school to upper-division university courses.

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Texts

D. Bartholomae & A. Petrosky, (1986). Facts, artifacts and counterfacts: Theory and method for a reading and writing course. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

Kutz, E., S.Q. Groden, & V. Zamel, (1993). The discovery of competence: Teaching and learning with diverse student writers. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

McCormick, K., The culture of reading and teaching of English. New York: Manchester University Press.

M.P. Shaughnessy, (1977). Errors and expectations. New York: Oxford UP.

Course Reader, Vol. 1 (available at SFSU Bookstore); Electronic Reader, Vol. II. (SFSU On-line)

Other: Tutoring and Observation - Each student who is not currently a practicing teacher or who is not already tutoring students in the English Tutoring Center will work for two hours a week FOR ONE SEMESTER tutoring students in SFSU’s Accelerated English program. Also, each student will be required to observe one of our accelerated English classes for a period of no less than four weeks.

NOTE: You may elect to complete the tutoring and observation requirement concurrently (during the same semester), or if you prefer, you can elect to complete the observation requirement during one semester, and the tutoring requirement during the other semester.

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English 715 - Fall and Spring Semesters
Pedagogy and Practice in Teaching Postsecondary Reading

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Pedagogy and Practice of Postsecondary Reading combines an introduction to theory and specific techniques in reading instruction for teaching inexperienced readers and other adult learners at the college and university levels. Through hands-on experience and classroom observations, students learn to develop instructional plans to assist students with specific reading/basic-literacy problems. In addition, class participants will research and report on areas of particular professional or practical interest and develop a lesson plan which incorporates strategies for effective reading.

Goals and Objectives: The seminar student successfully completing the requirements of this course will demonstrate the required prerequisite skills necessary to teach reading effectively at the post-secondary level. In addition, the seminar student will demonstrate an understanding of the development of a cooperative and positive learning environment, the planning for meaningful and effective learning, and the fundamental skills and strategies for effective teaching of post-secondary reading. In order to reach the course objective, the seminar student will learn:

• to recognize techniques to help students increase reading of academic texts in all content areas, validate their own schemata, and design strategies to empower and motivate students to view reading as a vehicle for gaining information and pleasure;
• to recognize the relationship between reading and writing and to use each to reinforce the other in all academic content areas;
• to use informal diagnostic approaches to determine word recognition, comprehension levels; assess silent reading rate and recall abilities; identify perceptual and conceptual factors influencing individual skill development;
• to teach basic word recognition and word analysis to post-secondary students and adults, and/or increase the word recognition abilities of developmental students;
• to teach silent reading rate and comprehension skills to secondary, community college and university students;

Note: Although not a prerequisite, prior teaching experience and/or concurrent enrollment in English 701 is useful.

Texts

Elizabeth G. Cohen. (1994). Designing Groupwork, 2nd Edition. New York: Teachers College Press.

Wilbert J. McKeachie. (2002). McKeachie’s Teaching Tips, 11th Edition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Robert J. Tierney and John E. Readence (2000). Reading Strategies and Practices, 5th Edition . Allyn and Bacon.