Writing and Content Literacy for Students with Special Needs

Catalog description

Effective curriculum and materials for teaching writing and content literacy to students with special needs. SPLED 409B Writing and Content Literacy for Students with Special Needs (3) Effective application of classroom-based measurement, curriculum development, and instructional strategies for teaching writing and content literacy to educate students with special needs will be described in this course. Students will learn how to use assessment to develop curriculum and provide scientifically based best practice instruction in writing mechanics (handwriting, spelling, capitalization & punctuation) and written expression (pre-planning to revision) to K-12 students with special needs. Students will learn how to identify, select, and teach content text structure. Methods for using assessment to develop a reading comprehension curriculum within a content classroom context and teach K-12 students with special needs to read and comprehend narrative and expository text (such as text found in Math, Science, Social Studies, and other content textbooks) will be described. Methods for using assessment to develop curriculum and teach K-12 students with special needs to respond to content text and materials through writing will also be examined.This course builds on prerequisite Special Education courses in curriculum and instructional methods. Students in SPLED 409B will have achieved mastery in basic reading theory, assessment, curriculum, and instructional methods. The content offered in this course adds to the existing course content by specifically addressing writing mechanics, written expression, and content reading, curriculum development, and instructional methods (including plans for generalization and maintenance) for students with special needs.Written responses for assigned readings will be required for each topic area. Written evaluations and class assignments (including case studies) will be given to assess student learning throughout the course time period. Students' learning will be further evaluated through projects that demonstrate understandings of applying classroom-based measurement, curriculum development, and the instructional methods required to effectively teach writing and content learning to students with special needs. Student applied projects, in coordination with practicum placement, for writing instruction will include: (1) the collection of baseline writing data for a student with special needs, (2) development of a curriculum scope and sequence, (3) development of a research validated instructional intervention, (4) implementation of the intervention, (5) the collection of writing data throughout instruction and after instruction, and (6) development and implementation of an instructional plan for maintenance and generalization. To demonstrate understandings of teaching content reading and writing, students will prepare a presentation of an identified research-based content reading or writing instructional strategy or approach taught within a curriculum scope and sequence.