Course provides a scientifically-based foundation in the cognitive, sociocultural, linguistic, and motivational influences on reading. Concepts of word recognition, phonology, phonics, morphology, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension are presented. Connections to written expression, discourse writing, and special populations in varied contexts are explored.
Athena Title
Foundations of Reading
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EDUC 2140E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to use scientifically-based reading research and evidence-based practice to define important elements of the necessary components of reading, including being able to differentiate between code-emphasis and whole-language approaches to teaching reading. Students will be able to defend the use of a research-based approach.
Students will be able to describe models of reading and how they are used to support reading development, instructional needs, and reading concerns. Students will be able to identify and explain how language development influences cognitive and emotional development, which contributes to literacy and writing development.
Students will be able to differentiate among essential components of reading instruction and the effective instructional elements involved with each area of reading, including:
a. phoneme awareness, including phonemes that correlate with English graphemes; graphically represent phonemes that correlate with English graphemes (i.e., phonics instruction); and demonstrate strategies to use phonetic generalizations for word analysis;
b. purpose and goals of phoneme awareness instruction and its role in reading;
c. characteristics of systematic, explicit instruction and contrast those approaches with implicit, incidental approaches to reading instruction;
d. compare and contrast different practices in supporting phonological awareness;
e. the role of automaticity in fluent reading;
f. how oral reading fluency is related to other major components of reading; and
g. define the role of vocabulary in text comprehension and decoding and reasons why readers might not comprehend text.
Students will be able to explain the role of language skills in reading, spelling, and writing.
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the structure of English orthography and morphology.
Students will be able to describe how learning to spell and learning to read rely on much of the same underlying linguistic knowledge and that spelling instruction can be designed to further understand key aspects of language, resulting in better reading.
Students will be able to utilize the simple view of reading to explain reading development and difficulties and explain how specific research-based strategies improve reading vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
Students will be able to explain the relationships between fluent word reading, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension.
Students will be able to describe the benefit of directly teaching fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills in the reading process, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Students will be able to utilize reading and writing instruction to promote content area literacy.
Students will know the core components of effective reading instruction and how to evaluate them. Students will demonstrate awareness of the reciprocal relationships among the foundations of reading (i.e., phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary knowledge).
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/Response to Intervention (RTI) model for the prevention and remediation of reading problems.
Students will be able to describe the role of families, educators, and other stakeholders in the teaching of reading.
