Teaching Reading and Writing

What you’ll be able to do

• Understand that the alphabetic code stems from oral language first, and that oral language is about communication.

• Recognize that a student’s oral language and forms of communication are the most valuable ways to establish an affinity toward reading and writing

• Recognize the complex nature of the reading, writing, and language arts processes as they are influenced by linguistic, sociological, cultural, cognitive, and psychological factors.

• Understand the multiple dimensions of reading, writing, and communicating in the development of a strong theoretical and empirical (research-based) foundation for making instructional decisions.

• Explain the vocabulary, components, and methods of teaching phonological awareness (including but not limited to phonemic awareness), including how phonological awareness relates to emergent reading and later reading and spelling (orthography) skills.

• Explain the vocabulary and concepts involved in teaching phonics and The Alphabetic Principle (i.e., phonemes [sounds] are represented by graphemes [letters])

• Understand and explain word-reading strategies (e.g., phonics, syllabic analysis, morphemic analysis, vocabulary), including how to know (through observation and assessment) precisely when they should be taught to and used by students.

• Explain the vocabulary and methods for teaching reading comprehension as a complex construct (e.g., literal interpretation/recall of single texts to critical readings across multiple texts).

• Explain the vocabulary and conceptual models of the reading process.

• Explain the vocabulary and conceptual models of the writing process

• Understand and define the sociocultural and multidynamic complexities of literacy engagement, including social and emotional factors.

• Demonstrate relationships among reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

• Use children’s and adolescent literature to teach reading and writing.

• Recognize the importance of play and imagination for children’s reading success.

• Understand socioeconomic, linguistic, racial, and cultural diversity from an asset-based perspective in connection with reading, including variations in language use and learning practices.

• Critically discuss issues surrounding social justice and equity in reading instruction, and what good education for all might look like in this age of measurement and standardization.

• Select, administer, interpret, and communicate information from literacy observations and assessments of two unique literacy learners in your practicum placement.

• Utilize the observations and assessments to identify a variety of instructional strategies, approaches, techniques, and materials for capitalizing on the strengths of two unique literacy learners in your practicum placement.

• Teach with an ethics of care and meaning-making in mind.

• Be a teacher who reads, writes, and produces multimodal texts.

Source: UW Guide