Teaching Reading in the ESL Classroom
CIMTE 442/BIL ED 593
Fall 1998
Instructor: Holbrook Mahn
Times: Thursday 4:00-6:30 PM
Credit Hours: 3
Place: Student Services B24
Office Hours: Thursday 1:00-2:30 and to be arranged
Hokona 212
Phone 277-7981; home: 881-7981
e-mail: hmahn@unm.edu
Course Description and Rationale:
This course will examine theories of language
and literacy acquisition to provide a theoretical foundation for the pedagogical
approaches to the teaching of reading in the ESL. Students will have an
opportunity to put these theories into practice by developing and teaching
a lesson in an ESL classroom.
Objectives:
1. To become familiar with recent theory and
research in the teaching of ESL reading by first examining the process
of literacy acquisition in the first language and then examining the similarities
and differences in second language literacy acquisition. This will provide
the foundation for the exploration of sound teaching practices.
2. To develop sensitivity to the complexities
of the reading processes of all students.
3. To understand the similarities and differences
of the reading processes for students learning to read English as a second
language.
4. To explore the processes of bilingual readers.
5. To develop the ability to facilitate and to
assess second language reading acquisition.
Course Requirements:
10% 1. Participate in class discussions, groups,
activities. Attendance is mandatory given the interactive nature of the
class.
20% 2. Keep a reading response log in which you
reflect on aspects of the reading that seem particularly applicable to
your classroom and/or aspects of the reading with which you strongly agree
or disagree.
5% 3. Respond to another student's journal
15% 4. Tutor an ESL student once a week in reading.
Write a reflection piece (2-3 pages) on the experience.
20% 5. Preparation of a lesson (1-2 periods) which
you will implement in an APS or UNM ESL class.
30% 6. A group project in which your group will
examine an aspect of teaching ESL reading. The group will be responsible
for making a presentation to the class. In the course of the research on
the topic the group will find an article on the topic to make available
to the class as a whole on our web page. The group project should include
implications for teaching with concrete strategies and lessons. The group
will collectively or individually write a paper on the project.
Graduate Credit -- a short paper (2-3) pages reviewing
two articles on a related theme about ESL reading worth 10% (The project
will be worth 20%.)
Required textbooks:
1. Smith, F., Reading without Nonsense, 3rd
Edition
2. Faltis, C., Joinfostering: Adapting Teaching
for the Multilingual Classroom, 2nd Edition
Course Schedule
Week One: January 22
Introduction to students, course, and instructor.
Week Two: January 29
Theme: Introduction to the Reading Process
Reading Assignment: Smith, Chs. 1 & 2
Week Three: February 5
Theme: The Role of Phonics/Diversity
Reading Assignment: Smith, Chs. 3 & 4;
Faltis, Preface, Foreword, & Ch. 1
Week Four: February 12
Theme: Reading Comprehension.
Reading Assignment: Smith, Ch. 5; Cairney, Ch.
2
Week Five: February 19
Theme: What is Reading? & Joining the Literacy
Club.
Reading Assignment: Smith, Chs. 6 & 7
Week Six: February 26
Theme: The Role of the Teacher & Instructional
Strategies
Reading Assignment: Smith, Ch. 8; Faltis, Ch.
2
Week Seven: March 5
Theme: The Role of Technology & The Classroom
Environment
Reading Assignment: Smith, Ch. 9; Faltis, Ch.
3
Exchange Journals
Week Eight: March 12
Theme: Strategies for Middle Level and Advanced
ESL Readers
Reading Assignment: Cairney
Week Nine: March 19 SPRING BREAK
Week Ten: March 26
Theme: Emergent Literacy and Integrating Drama
in the ESL Classroom
Reading Assignment:Emergent
Literacy Article 1; Emergent
Literacy Article 2; Emergent
Literacy Article 3 ;Emergent
Literacy Article 4
Eleanor Albert -- "Drama in the Classroom"
Sheri Forsythe -- "It Worked! Readers Theater
in Second Grade"; Readers
Theatre and Language Arts for Teachers
Week Eleven: April 2
Theme: Multimedia Approaches to Reading
Note: We will be meeting at Wilson Middle
School
Reading Assignment: Readers
Theater Article; Computer
Assisted Language Learning
Faltis, Ch. 4
Week Twelve: April 9
Theme: Models of Literacy Acquisition --&
Teaching Reading to Students Whose Native Language is Ideographic
Reading Assignment: Reading
Recovery Article; Freire
Article #1;
Freire Article
#2; Bell,
J. S. "The Relationship between L1 and L2 Literacy: Some Complicating Factors"
Faltis Ch. 5;
Exchange Journals
Week Thirteen: April 16
Theme: Models of Literacy Acquisition (Part II)
Sociocultural Factors and ESL Reading
Reading Assignment: "New London Group Summary"
"Sociocultural Contexts of Language Development:
Implications for the Classroom," Shirley Brice Heath in The Multicultural
Classroom : Readings for Content -Area Teachers, Richard-Amato, P.
Week Fourteen: April 23
Theme: The Development of ESL Reading Materials
Reading Assignment: Faltis Chs. 6 & 7; ESL
Materials #1;
ESL
Reading Materials #2 ;ESL
Reading Materials #3
Journals due
Week Fifteen: April 30
Theme: Literature-based Approaches
Reading Assignment: "Why Don't Language Acquirers Take Advantage of
the Power of Reading?" Kim, H. & Krashen, S.
"Language and Culture Monsters That Lurk in Our Traditional Rhymes
and Folktales," Cornell, C.
"Whole Group Story Reading," Wolter, D.
Final Papers & Lesson Plans Due
Week Sixteen: May 7
Theme: Experiences from the Classroom &: Course Evaluation
Week Seventeen: May 16
Finals Week
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