RDG/415 - Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties

Course Description

This course addresses the use of reading assessments to determine classroom intervention and instructional strategies. It provides foundational information about stages of reading acquisition, factors that impact reading success or failure, and the nature of reading difficulties. This information serves as a context for learning about the selection, administration, and interpretation of formal and informal classroom assessments for the purposes of screening, diagnosing difficulties, monitoring progress, and evaluating instruction. In addition, a final diagnostic and instructional recommendations report will be developed based on student test data provided.

This undergraduate course is 5 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for enrollment to residents of Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming and individuals who reside outside the United States.

Course Objectives

Week 1

• Identify the stages of reading development.
• Identify factors that impact reading success or failure.
• Examine how writing can influence reading success or failure.
• Identify reading difficulties that students experience.
• Describe typical signs and symptoms of dyslexia in elementary-aged students.

Week 2

• Describe the importance of formal and informal assessments in identifying and remediating reading difficulties.
• Identify the elements involved in implementing effective assessments for designing effective instructional plans.
• Describe how classroom assessments are used as formative and summative tools for guiding or monitoring student progress and for evaluating instruction.
• Identify informal instruments that assess the following areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
• Implement an Informal Reading Inventory (IRI).

Week 3

• Compare and contrast norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests.
• Define validity and reliability.
• Identify formal instruments that assess the following areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
• Identify screening tools and assessments used to alert educators to potential reading problems.

Week 4

• Identify strategies for intervention in the following areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and study skills.
• Select appropriate reading texts to meet the instructional needs of a practicum student.
• Describe classroom interventions and accommodations that support students with reading disabilities.

Week 5

• Examine various pedagogical strategies to address diverse learning styles.
• Examine the organization and use of a school-wide multi-tiered model for instruction and intervention.
• Analyze formats for communicating assessment information to students, parents, teachers, and professionals.
• Analyze a series of reading assessments, including a reading inventory, for the purpose of identifying strengths and weaknesses and planning instruction for a student.

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing education for teacher’s courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing education for teachers’ courses is not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. More information about eligibility requirements, policies, and procedures can be found in the catalog or please check with a University Enrollment Representative.