Linking Assessment to Teaching: Reading, Writing & Word Study
Use student assessments to plan literacy instruction that meets the needs of all learners.
In this 8-week online course, you’ll develop the skills to systematically observe and analyze students’ reading, writing, and word-solving behaviors. Through careful observation, you’ll learn to design responsive, targeted instruction that meets students’ diverse needs and supports literacy growth for all children.
- Classroom Teachers & Interventionists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- Course: EEDUC 6165-80
- Fees are subject to change
Authentic, standardized assessment and analysis of oral reading, writing, and talk provide valuable insight into how students process, comprehend, and craft meaningful text.
In this 8-week online course, you will learn how to conduct systematic observation and analysis of student reading, writing, word-solving, and oral language usage. Using your state or district standards and the Literacy Continuum, you will be able to identify the behaviors and understandings that are essential competencies for effective reading, writing, and word-solving. Then, you will use these understandings to design responsive literacy instruction tailored to diverse learning needs.
The flexible online format allows you to engage with high-quality content at your pace, while benefiting from a supportive virtual learning community and instructional resources.
Course Outcomes
- Learn how to observe reading, writing, and language behaviors as a foundation for planning differentiated and targeted instruction
- Examine how second language acquisition impacts assessment and how to observe and analyze the behaviors of emergent bilingual learners to inform differentiated instruction
- Identify how to assess for phonological awareness and other concepts related to word-solving and vocabulary development
- Develop an understanding of the demands of texts increasing in difficulty across a gradient
- Learn to use The Literacy Continuum as a resource to help analyze reading, writing and word-solving behaviors and link the assessment data to instruction
- Develop an understanding of how reading, writing and language behaviors change over time
- Examine how to design individual, small group and whole group literacy instruction to meet the needs of all students
You’ll need access to a student at this grade level (K–8) to complete assignments successfully.
Wendy Vaulton, Associate Director of Reading Recovery and Early Interventions
Wendy Vaulton is the Associate Director for Reading Recovery and Early Interventions at Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Wendy serves as the Center’s Reading Recovery trainer, supporting teacher leaders in five states. She has experience as an educational researcher, professional developer, and teacher of Reading Recovery. Wendy’s recent research interests include the capacity of improvement science to support systematic, data-informed decision-making for all levels of educational improvement.
This option must be taken for 3 graduate credits. Take the course individually or as a required course in our 18-credit Online Graduate Certificate in Developing Literacy Expertise Through Responsive Classroom Teaching.
Required Texts
You are responsible for purchasing/having access to the following professional texts for this course:
- Anderson, C. (2004). Assessing writers. Heinemann.
- Clay, M. M. (2017). Running records for classroom teachers, second edition. The Marie Clay Literacy Trust. ISBN USA 978-0-325-09279.
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2017). The Fountas and Pinnell literacy continuum, expanded edition: A tool for assessment, planning, and teaching. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). Guided reading: Responsive teaching across the grades, second edition. Heinemann.
- Note: You will need this edition. Please do not use older versions/editions.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers.
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