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Reading - 2010-2011

Admission | Courses | Program | Requirements | Profile

Department Chairperson:  Cindy J. Dooley
Graduate Committee Chairperson: Angela Ferree
Department Office:  Horrabin Hall 69
Department Telephone: (309) 298-1961 Fax: (309) 298-2800
Department E-mail: CJ-Dooley@wiu.edu
Website:  wiu.edu/curriculum
Location of Program Offering: Macomb, Quad Cities, and Springfield

Graduate Faculty
Professors

  • Kathy Barclay, Ed.D., Northwestern State University
  • Laurel Borgia, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Marie Cheak, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
  • Cindy J. Dooley, Ph.D., University of Iowa
  • Angela M. Ferree, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
  • H. Jon Jones, Ed.D., Ball State University
  • Pamela Terry Godt, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
  • Sara D. Simonson, Ph.D., University of Iowa
  • Frances A. Steward, Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Associate Graduate Faculty
Assistant Professor

  • Melissa Stinnett, Ph.D., University of Illinois

Program Description

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers coursework leading to the Master of Science in Education degree in reading. The objective of the program is to provide elementary and secondary teachers with opportunities to increase their professional competency. The focus is on acquiring an in-depth understanding of both developmental and remedial reading theory and evidence-based instructional practices. The goal is to prepare teachers for a variety of professional positions: as effective elementary and secondary classroom teachers, as reading specialists endorsed to teach in specialized reading programs such as Title I at either the elementary or secondary level, and as K-12 reading specialists.

Admission Requirements 

  1. Admission to the School of Graduate Studies
  2. Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 in the last two years
  3. Graduate Record Examination not required
  4. Acceptance by the Departmental Graduate Committee
  5. A valid teaching certificate
  6. Teaching experience (preferred)

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Education degree in Reading requires a minimum of 33 semester hours of coursework. 

I. EIS 500 Methods of Research: 3 s.h.

II. Core Courses: 27 s.h.

LLA 525 Literature and the Reader (3)
RDG 568 Foundations of Reading in the Middle and Secondary School (3)
RDG 570 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School (3)
RDG 571 Assessment of Reading Abilities and Disabilities (3)
RDG 573 Correction and Remediation of Reading Difficulties (3)
RDG 576 Psychology of Reading (3)
RDG 587 Practicum in Reading K-6 (3)
RDG 588 Leadership in Reading
RDG 589 Practicum in Reading 7-12 (3)

III. Directed Electives: 3 s.h.

LA 567 Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School (3)
LA 577 Writing in the Elementary Schools (3)
LA 578 Language Arts for Diverse Learners (3)
LLA 443G Creative Uses of Literature for Children and Young Adults (3)
RDG 508 Phonics for Decoding and Spelling (3)
RDG 553 Integrating Reading and Writing through Inquiry (3)
RDG 569 Reading in Early Childhood (3)
RDG 580 Reading in the Content Areas (3)
RDG 584 Vocabulary Development K-12 (3)
RDG 586 Language Development and Reading (3)

TOTAL PROGRAM: 33 s.h.

The student may need to take other courses to meet certification requirements in the state in which he/she resides.

Course Descriptions 

433G Introduction to Corrective Reading. (3) A course emphasizing group and individual identification and instructional procedures for corrective reading in the elementary school. Prerequisites: EIS 301, RDG 383 and RDG 584 or departmental approval.

468G Teaching Reading in Secondary School and College. (3) A theory‑based course that translates knowledge and research concerning reading at the middle school level, high school level, and college level into recommendations for effective instruction, and focuses on the various kinds of reading programs that exist at the post-elementary level.  A minimum grade of C is required for teacher education majors.

508 Phonics for Decoding and Spelling. (3) From an approach that focuses on environmental print and authentic literature experiences, this course examines a variety of aspects of phonological processing: (1) phonological/phonemic awareness, (2) phonics and other word identification strategies, and (3) spelling.

550 Professional Workshop in Reading. (1–3, repeatable) Workshops are usually organized around a particular theme based upon student demand.

553 Integrating Reading and Writing Through Inquiry. (3) This K‑12 course explores relationships between reading and the use of collaborative, authentic reading and writing learning experiences within an inquiry-oriented curriculum.

568 Foundations of Reading in the Middle and Secondary School. (3) An advanced study of effective literacy instructional techniques, assessments, curricular materials, and literate environments in middle and secondary classrooms within the context of state and national reading standards.

569 Reading in Early Childhood. (3) Designed to help teachers of preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades to plan and design developmentally appropriate programs aimed at facilitating the acquisition of pre‑reading and reading abilities. Emphasis on how early guidance and instructional programs can attend to all aspects of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

570 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School. (3) An introductory course comparing various approaches to teaching reading and translating knowledge and research concerning elementary reading into recommendations for effective instruction.

571 Assessment of Reading Abilities and Disabilities. (3) A K‑12 course focusing on the uses of diagnostic tools, tests, and procedures (both formal and informal) for investigating reading abilities and disabilities in clinical and classroom settings. Prerequisite: RDG 568 or RDG 570.

573 Correction and Remediation of Reading Difficulties. (3) A K-12 course focusing on effective corrective reading and remedial reading instruction that arises from assessment information and considers techniques, strategies, and programs for individual, small group, and classroom settings.  Prerequisites: RDG 570 or RDG 568; RDG 571.

574 Practicum in Reading. (3) An advanced course where knowledge of diagnosis and instruction is refined, applied, and extended as students work individually with small groups of elementary and/or secondary students in a closely supervised instructional setting. Prerequisites: RDG 570 or 468G; 571; and 573.

576 Psychology of Reading. (3) A theory course for elementary and secondary teachers focusing on the psychological and linguistic factors that influence the reading process, including topics such as language learning and reading disabilities, processing differences between good and poor comprehenders, and the effect of current reading process theory on teaching practices. Prerequisites: RDG 570, RDG 468G, or permission of the instructor.

580 Reading in the Content Areas. (3) An individually designed course for elementary and secondary reading majors and non‑majors, this introductory course helps enrollees become familiar with concepts and teaching strategies needed to assist students to learn from textbooks and nontextbook materials.

584 Vocabulary Development K–12. (3) This course explores elementary, middle, and high school students’ vocabulary development and appropriate strategies for teaching and assessing vocabulary.

586 Language Development and Reading.  (3) This pre K-12 course explores theories of language development and the relationship between language development and learning to read.  Of special interest are populations (such as second language learners, those with a learning disability with respect to oral communication, and hearing impaired students) who find learning to read difficult because of language barriers.  Prerequisites: RDG 568, RDG 569, or RDG 570.

587 Practicum in Reading K-6. (3) An advanced course where knowledge of diagnosis and instruction is refined, applied, and extended as students work individually with small groups of K-6 students in a closely supervised instructional setting. Prerequisites: RDG 570, RDG 571, and RDG 573.

588 Leadership in Reading. (3) Designed for the reading specialist in the classroom or remedial program and for the administrator responsible for the reading program, this course prepares participants to act as change agents within the school‑based reading program in areas of curriculum/methodology, organization, administration, and staff development. Prerequisites: Twenty-four hours in reading to include RDG 568 or RDG 570, RDG 571, RDG 573, and RDG 587 or RDG 589.

589 Practicum in Reading 7-12. (3) An advanced course where knowledge of diagnosis and instruction is refined, applied, and extended as students work individually with small groups of 7-12 students in a closely supervised instructional setting. Prerequisites: RDG 568, RDG 571, and RDG 573.