Course Catalog

Provides an overview of the development of young children's literacy experiences in the home, the developmental patterns of reading and writing that precede conventional literacy, and approaches to fostering this development in early childhood. Includes a practicum component in area preschools.

This course focuses on communicative language teaching and learning in community contexts. It prepares participants to teach ESL in local communities and provides them with hands-on teaching practice experiences in local service organizations. Participants explore the overall theme of "Language and Community" as they learn ESL teaching methods & techniques.

Crosslisted with ELI 390, LING 390, RCSSCI 390, RCSTP 390

Prerequisites: PSYCH 111 and 112 or equivalents.

Discusses human learning, motivation, and development. Considers evaluation theory, both instructional and psychological, including uses of behavioral objectives, criteria-referenced and norm-referenced tests, and observation skills. Investigates individual differences, emphasizing the exceptional learner and including mainstreaming philosophy and theory.

Presents philosophy, history, and sociology of American education in relation to its contemporary settings. Attends to sociopolitical contexts and to roles of technology in society and schooling. Places special emphasis on multicultural thought and experience in American society.

In this service-learning course students explore the language, educational, health, and legal issues facing migrant farmworkers in southeast Michigan. As students come to understand the needs of these communities, they learn and practice methods and techniques for teaching ESL to this mixed-proficiency, primarily Spanish-speaking population.

Crosslisted with AMCULT 361, LATINOAM 361, LING 391, RCSSCI 395, RCSTP 395

Addresses questions about how literacy develops in young children and what can teachers do to foster that development. Launches by considering the history of literacy in the U.S. and modern-day literacy demands. Then addresses several major constructs in early literacy development—concepts of print, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, phonics, spelling, word recognition, and reading fluency in grades PK-6.

Offers an introduction to the processes of reading and writing development, emphasizing methods and materials for teaching literacy skills in elementary and junior high schools (K–8).

Credit Hours: Undergraduates 3; Graduates 0.5-3

Addresses effective teaching of reading comprehension across PK-6. Focus is on the skills, strategies, knowledges, and motivations that support the development of reading comprehension, how to assess comprehension, and how to design and enact a range of instructional strategies and routines to support students in becoming skillful and engaged readers across subject areas.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites
This course introduces participants to the field of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL*). The course is designed for people who may wish to teach English abroad or to tutor language learners in the US. Participants will build a foundation in English pronunciation, lexicon and grammar so that they understand the particular challenges English language learners face. They will learn how to design lessons for children and young adults that use a communicative, interactive approach and will micro teach those lessons in class. They will investigate, critique and use a variety of EFL materials. They will explore opportunities for teaching EFL as well as the international role of English and sociopolitical factors that affect English language learning in other countries. They will have a weekly practice-teaching experience with non-native English speakers. Finally, upon successful completion of the course, they will receive a certificate that documents what they have accomplished in the course.

* EFL is different from ESL (English as a second language). EFL involves teaching English in countries where English is a foreign language (such as Japan or Brazil). ESL involves teaching English in countries where English is the main language (such as the US or Australia.)

Addresses the design and enactment of engaging literacy instruction that advances the literacy learning of children in grades PK-6. Building on the work of EDUC 401 and 403, this course focuses, in particular, on building students’ speaking, listening, language, and composition skills and knowledge.

Prerequisites: Must be elected concurrently with EDUC 307, 391, and 401.

Studies elementary schooling in relation to learners, teaching, curriculum, and the professional responsibilities and obligations of teachers. Contemporary issues affecting the elementary classroom teacher serve as the specific focus. Taken in conjunction with 307, facilitates the integration of theory and practice by providing students with the opportunity to work with learners and teachers in classrooms.

Revisits core literacy teaching content in prior courses to deepen and hone literacy teaching practices. The focus is on teaching children and adolescents how to learn academic language and content while they are developing academic English language proficiency. Emphasis on teaching multilingual learners.

Studies the history of approaches to children’s oral and written language learning, with particular focus on literacy (reading, writing, and other symbolic systems), and the psychological and social/cultural development of young children. Explores the history of systems of teaching literacy, with emphasis on formal schooling, and the social/cultural underpinnings of classroom instruction. Contemporary trends in literacy and language arts instruction affecting the elementary classroom are emphasized.