Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Language Acquisition, Early Literacy, and Phonics (Online)

EDRG 3010-30I

Course: EDRG 3010-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: TED
CRN: 30512

Course Description

This course focuses on methods to enhance early literacy development. The acquisition of both first and second languages, concepts of emergent literacy, and the integration of phonics are stressed. This course is a practicum course; a background check through SUU must be completed prior to registering for this course. Placement requests must be made before the drop date, otherwise students will be dropped from the course. Questions about the practicum experiences or background checks can be directed to coehdpracticums@suu.edu. Fee required $5.00. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): EDRG 2520 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Prerequisite Can Be Concurrent? No Registration Restriction(s): Admission to Education Department required

Required Texts

  • Such, Christopher (2021).The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading. Thousand Oaks, CA: CORWIN
  • Honig, B., Diamond, L., Gutlohn, L., (2018). Teaching Reading Sourcebook, Third Edition. Berkeley, CA.: CORE, Consortium on Reading Excellence
  • Diamond, L., Thorsnes, B.J., (2018). Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures, Revised Second Edition. Berkeley, CA.: CORE, Consortium on Reading Excellence

Learning Outcomes

  1. Plan for and implement differentiated instruction by selecting and using appropriate assessments, including amount of teacher regulation of learning, feedback, group size, instructional time allotment, frequency, duration, research-based instructional materials, and opportunities to respond (MTSS.3) 
  2. Incorporates a continuous problem-solving model using well-validated screening and diagnostic assessments to determine interventions for students including setting goals, regular monitoring of student progress, and analyzing student response patterns to make instructional adjustments (MTSS.5) 
  3. Understand and integrate the formative assessment process (MTSS.6) :

• clarify learning goals within a broader progression of learning

• elicit and analyze evidence of student thinking

• engage in self-assessment and peer feedback

• provide actionable feedback

• use evidence and feedback to move learning forward by adjusting learning goals and strategies, and instructional next steps to identify students who may require additional support and/or extensions
4.Understand and apply the general principles and practices of structured language and literacy teaching, including explicit, systematic, and cumulative (POI.1) 
5. Recognize and plan for cultural and linguistic diversity and social inequity to inform literacy instruction and the creation/selection of materials (POI.2) 
6. Create a positive, literacy-rich learning environment anchored in digital and print literacies (POI.3) 
7. Develop literacy instruction (reading, writing, speaking, listening) to enhance disciplinary learning (POI.4) 
8. Use the processes of reflection, data collection and analysis, and ongoing inquiry to improve their professional practice (POI.5) 
9. Begin lessons with a clearly stated objectives, relevance, and measured outcomes (EIF.1) 
10. Review relevant prior skills and knowledge before beginning instruction (EIF.2) 
11. Provide carefully sequenced modeled demonstrations including an adequate range of strategically selected examples and non- examples (EIF.3) 
12. Use clear and concise language (EIF.4) 
13. Provide sufficient, scaffolded guided practice and independent practice with specific relevant feedback (EIF.5) 
14. Require frequent, instructionally relevant student responses and interactions (EIF.6) 
15. Deliver the lesson at a brisk, engaging pace (EIF.7) 
16. Provide immediate, affirmative, and corrective feedback based on monitoring of student performance (EIF.8) 
17. Awareness of some of the common problems associated with oral language development and access interventions for addressing them (FSOL.6) 
18. Teachers must provide students with explicit instruction and rich language experiences geared to their individual needs (FSOL.8) 
19. Teachers provide opportunities for all students to listen and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences (FSOL.9) 
20. Know/apply general and specific goals of phonemic awareness instruction (e.g., blending, segmentation, isolation, manipulation—add, delete, substitute)(FSPA.2) 
21. Know and apply the principles of phonemic-awareness instruction: brief, fast-paced, multisensory, conceptual, articulatory, auditory- verbal(FSPA.3) 
22. Understand and apply differentiation for varying levels of student phonological awareness (e.g., word, syllable, onset-rime, phoneme)(FSPA.4) 
23. Understand and apply accommodations for students experiencing phoneme awareness difficulties(FSPA.5) 
24. Know and apply strategies for organizing word recognition and spelling lessons by following an explicit instruction phonics lesson plan (FSP.3) 
25. Know the importance of and demonstrate the ability to systematically, cumulatively, and explicitly teach basic and advanced decoding and spelling skills (FSP.5) 26. Know and apply skills for teaching irregular words in small increments using special techniques (FSP.6) 
27. Know and apply multisensory routines to enhance student engagement and memory (FSP.7) 
28. Know and use different types and purposes of texts, with emphasis on the role of decodable texts in teaching beginning readers (FSP.8) 
29. Apply knowledge of learner development and learning differences to create a positive, equitable, fluency-rich learning environment (FSTF.2) 
30. Examine, adapt, design, and evaluate evidence-based, instructional approaches to word-level and text-level reading, fluency, and prosody (FSTF.3) 
31. Model teacher-assisted, peer-assisted, and/or audio-assisted reading of connected text (FSTF.5) 
32. Know and apply appropriate uses of accommodations (e.g., assistive technology) for students below, or well below grade level in reading fluency (FSTF.6) 
33. Apply knowledge of learner development (e.g., Multilingual Learners, learners with disabilities), and learning differences to create a positive, equitable, vocabulary-rich learning environment (FSV.1) 
34. Apply logical criteria for selecting vocabulary words for instruction (e.g., utility, connections to known words and concepts, tiers of vocabulary) (FSV.2) 
35. Identify, design, implement and evaluate evidence-based instructional approaches to direct and indirect vocabulary instruction approaches for word-level, text-level, and word-learning strategies within the context of text comprehension (FSV.4) 
36.Know and apply appropriate uses of accommodations (e.g., assistive technology) for students with limitations in vocabulary acquisition (FSV.5)
37. Demonstrate basic knowledge of all the factors that contribute to reading comprehension, including oral language proficiency, word reading accuracy, reading fluency, background knowledge and vocabulary, knowledge of literary and content area text conventions, and use of reading comprehension strategies (FSC.1) 
38. Examine, design, adapt, implement, and evaluate evidence-based, instructional approaches to comprehension instruction, including modeling metacognitive strategies and choosing appropriate texts for instruction (FSC.2) 
39. Know and apply the teacher’s role as an active mediator of text-comprehension processes (FSC.3) 
40. Know/apply the stages of writing development (i.e., scribbling, letter-like forms, pattern letter strings, invented spelling, conventional spelling)(FSW.2) 
41. Awareness of research-based principles for teaching letter formation, both manuscript and cursive (FSW.5) 

Course Requirements

Quizzes and Discussions


Quizzes will be assigned weekly. Content will be related to the week's objectives/instructional topics. Quizzes are worth 100 points each. Discussions are worth 25 points each.  

Assignments


Assignments will be related to each tutoring session. Each assignment is worth 100 points. 

Practicum


There is a practicum associated with this class of 10 tutoring sessions. Each session will be recorded in a tutor log and will be worth 100 points each. 

Midterm


The Midterm will require that you complete the first 4 sections of your Reader Profile. It will be worth 500 points. 

Final


For the final, you will use information that you have gathered over the semester to complete the Reader Profile for your student. This culminating report will be worth 500 points. 


Course Outline

*These are subject to change and modification based on teacher discretion and student needs. 

Module 1: Introduction and Course Orientation


Assignment: Importance of Reading 


Write an essay describing why reading is important to you and why learning how to read is important for young children and society. Include statistics about reading proficiency, literacy rates among various populations. You can find this by googling NAEP scores or other internet searches (e.g., literacy rates of specific populations), and by consulting your textbooks. Reflect on your own experience with literacy development and the impact reading has had on your life personally. Give examples of the impact illiteracy has on individuals and in society. 


Module 2: Conceptual Models from the Science of Reading and Preparing for First Tutoring Session


Assignment: Plan for Your First Tutoring Session


For this assignment, you will fill out your lesson plan for your first tutoring session. There are 3 parts; Getting to Know You Activity, Establishing Expectations, and Dialogic Read Aloud Lesson Plan


Part 1: Plan an activity for getting to know Your student (25 points)


Prepare an activity that will allow you to get to know your student's interests, background, talents, etc. This can be something like a game, a drawing, a fill-in-the-blank document.  Briefly describe the activity (10 points) including how long you anticipate that it will take for your student to complete (5 points), and list any necessary materials (5 points). Next week, you will submit an "artifact" from this section of your session. Describe the artifact you plan to submit (e.g., a copy of a picture, drawing, etc.) (5 points). This can be simple so don't overthink it. The goal is to learn something about your student that will help you get to know them better and use the information as you plan future instruction.


Part 2: Learning and Behavioral Expectations (25 points)


An important part of any teaching situation requires clearly stated learning and behavioral expectations, norms, and positive reinforcement. List the expectations you will have for the student (e.g., don't talk when you are talking, do your best, etc.) (10 points) and how you will communicate those to your student (e.g., a chart or acronym to remind them) (5 points).  Also indicate your plan for positive behavior reinforcement (e.g., stickers for meeting expectations, etc.) (5 points) and how this information will impact learning (5 points). This does not have to be too involved since your tutoring sessions will be less than an hour. 


Part 3: Plan Dialogic Read Aloud (50 points)


Reading aloud is something that teachers do everyday. Teachers can improve students listening comprehension and language skills through the use of dialogic reading. You will do this frequently throughout the semester when there is time in your tutoring session. 


Using a children's book, demonstrate a read-aloud applying the dialogic reading model to create conversation as you read and interact with your student(s). Include five dialogic reading prompts represented in the acronym CROWD as you read. Read aloud with the student you tutor and reflect on your experience. You will record this part of next week's tutoring session, watch it, and submit a reflection of your teaching


Module 3: Reading Assessment and Tutoring Session 


Assignment: Getting to Know Your Student


It is essential that teachers embark on a continuous journey of deeply knowing and understanding their students. There are multiple ways to get to know your students and appreciate their lived experiences, cultural and linguistic assets, academic strengths, and unique learning needs. 


Activity 1: Getting to Know Your Student


Create or choose a meaningful activity…so that you can gather information relevant to your student’s interests, and then respond to the prompt below.


Textbox 1.2.1: Getting to Know Your Students Guiding Prompts

  • Description of Activity: Briefly describe the Getting to Know Your Student activity that you used during your first tutoring session. This section can be copied and pasted from your assignment from Module 2. 
  • Prompt: Using your student’s completed Getting to Know You Activity, analyze how this information could influence an instructional decision you might make for this student. 
  • Required artifact for this task: provide a completed student sample from the Getting to Know Your Students activity

Assignment: Dialogic Reading Reflection


Using a children's book, demonstrate a read-aloud applying the Five Turns model to create conversation as you read and interact with your student(s). Include dialogic reading prompts represented in the acronym CROWD as you read. Record (audio or video) the read-aloud. Watch the recording (and/or listen to the audio) and reflect on your experience.  


Module 4: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Tutoring Session


Assignment: CORE Phonological Awareness Assessments


From the Assessing Reading Multiple Measures book, administer the CORE Phonological Segmentation Tests (pg. 19-23), the CORE Phoneme Deletion Tests (pg. 24-29), and the CORE Phoneme Segmentation Tests (pg. 30-33), to the student that you tutor. After you have given the tests, Note each score and write a narrative paragraph summarizing the student's performance. You will also set an instructional goal based on the student's phonological awareness profile. 


Module 5: High-Frequency Word Instruction, Orthographic Mapping, and Tutoring Session


Assignment: CORE Graded High-Frequency Word Survey


From the Assessing Reading Multiple Measures book, administer the CORE Graded High-Frequency Word Survey (pg. 63-67), to the student that you tutor. The data from this assessment will be used to set goals and target instruction for your student (and reported during midterm). This assessment will be given again towards the end of the semester to measure student progress. 


Module 6: Components of Effective Phonics Instruction and Tutoring Session


Assignment: CORE Phonics Survey


From the Assessing Reading Multiple Measures book, administer the CORE Phonics Survey (pg. 41-52), to the students that you tutor.  The data from this assessment will be used to set goals for your student (and reported during midterm) and target your instruction. This assessment will be given again towards the end of the semester to measure student progress. 


Module 7: Creating a Reader Profile and Tutoring Session


Module 8: Ehri's Phases of Word Reading and Tutoring Session


Modules 7-8 (Midterm) Assignment: Reader Profile Sections 1-4 


The purpose of this midterm is for you to begin your culminating project by completing half of the Reading Profile that you will turn at the end of the semester and to synthesize all of the information you have about your student to this point to define goals for instruction. These goals will be your focus during each session for the rest of the semester. 


Make a copy of the Reader Profile template
 (Links to an external site.) and fill out the following sections: 

  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION (100 pts)

Use professional language to create a portrait of the child, and be careful to distinguish fact from interpretation. 


The statements in the  background section should describe characteristics you have observed about the student. 


Also state how you know the student (i.e. that you were assigned to work with him/her during Spring semester… etc.). 


Mention attendance of the student, scheduled day/time you met with him/her, length of session, total number of sessions and the outline for each session (e.g. Review of expectations, phonemic awareness, phonics, read aloud). 

  • INITIAL TESTS ADMINISTERED  (100 pts)

List the tests administered (Each of the CORE Phonological Awareness assessments, CORE Phonics Survey, etc.) with the numerical results. You have already submitted these assessments for your module assignments. You will include copies of the assessments with the profile at the end of the semester (but not for the midterm). 


Describe the tests given. (You can find descriptions, etc. in your Assessing Reading Multiple Measures textbook.) Write descriptions in a few sentences that are clear  and understandable to anyone reading the report (e.g., parents, teachers). 

  • RESULTS FROM INITIAL TESTING (200 pts)

This section will be the longest of the midterm report. For each test:  

  1. Present the quantitative results (you can copy and paste from your assignment submission form for each test). At what level is the child performing? How  well did the child score numerically? Make the information that  you are presenting as clear, succinct, and sensible as possible to the reader.  
  2. Present the qualitative analysis of these results. Make interpretations. When making interpretative statements, consider using language such as “These results  indicate/suggest…” For each interpretive statement, give examples, such as  spellings, word readings, and so forth.
  • GOALS FOR TUTORING SESSIONS (BASED ON ASSESSMENT) (100 pts)

List and describe the major goals for tutoring. These will be your focus during each session for the rest of the semester. Include at least one goal in each of the following areas; phonemic awareness, phonics, and high-frequency word recognition. Goals can be related to specific and desired assessment results for the end of the semester. Try to be realistic with your goals considering the limited number of sessions you have with your student. Describe each goal briefly, and explain why it is important to the reading development of your student. 


Module 9 : Fluency and Tutoring Session 


Assignment: Record and Reflect on Phonemic Awareness Instruction


Record the Phonemic Awareness section of the tutoring session. You will be required to reflect on aspects of your teaching (pacing, how you supported/scaffolded student learning, what you did well, ways you can improve) as well as student learning (response to instruction with evidence, student instructional needs based on your observation and reflection). 


Module 10: Decodable Text,Text Types and Tutoring Session


Assignment; Record and Reflect on High-Frequency Word Instruction


Record the High-Frequency Word section of the tutoring session. You will be required to reflect on aspects of your teaching (pacing, how you supported/scaffolded student learning, what you did well, ways you can improve) as well as student learning (response to instruction with evidence, student instructional needs based on your observation and reflection). 


Module 11: Syllable Types, Multisyllabic Word Instruction and Tutoring Session


Assignment: Record and Reflect on Phonics Instruction


Record the Phonics section of the tutoring session. You will be required to reflect on aspects of your teaching (pacing, how you supported/scaffolded student learning, what you did well, ways you can improve) as well as student learning (response to instruction with evidence, student instructional needs based on your observation and reflection).


Module 12: Vocabulary, Morphology, and Etymology and Tutoring Session


Assignment: Record and Reflect on Decodable Text/Application 


During the Phonics section of the tutoring session, record your student in the reading of decodable text. Reflect on your teaching (introduction of the text, corrective and affirmative feedback, response to student reading) as well as how well your student did in reading the text (accuracy, rate, prosody, comprehension). 


Module 13: Comprehension Assessment and Instruction and Tutoring Session


Assignment: CORE Phonological Awareness POST Tests


Measure student learning by re-administering these assessments. Analyze the results to determine student progress and to identify what the student needs next for continued reading development. This information will used to complete the Reader Profile.


Module 14: Addressing Reading Difficulties and Final Tutoring Session (Celebration!)


Assignment: CORE Phonics Survey


Measure student learning by re-administering this assessments. Analyze the results to determine student progress and to identify what the student needs next for continued reading development. This information will used to complete the Reader Profile.


Module 15: Culminating Project- Reader Profile and Reflections of Learning


Assignment (FINAL): Reader Profile 


Both preservice and inservice teachers benefit from learning how to analyze a student’s reading strengths and challenges. Writing a formal report requires thinking about the child and  your procedures in a comprehensive and analytic manner, rather than simply declaring  that a child is a successful or a striving reader. Analyzing data for an individual student will help you immensely as you address the needs of all readers in your classroom in the future.


You have already completed sections 1-4 for the midterm. You can make any revisions and then copy and paste the info into the final template. 


To write a thorough report, ask yourself questions about the child’s overall performance and about how the different  pieces of the assessment puzzle fit together. Then, on the basis of those findings, determine what instructional interventions will support the child. Think  about how to communicate this information to a parent or another teacher, explaining  clearly what you did and what you found. Do not assume the reader of the profile has a background in reading. 


GRADING


I am looking for 1) alignment between pre-testing data, instructional goals set from the testing data, how well instruction aligned with the goals, and outcomes from the post assessment data, 2) how well you can summarize the progress of your student, and 3) the quality of your instructional recommendations including how well they align with current instructional goals for your student. For sections 1-4 (completed at midterm), I will be looking for updates based on my suggestions as well as updates that include current information (session planning forms, attendance, lesson outline, etc.). 


This assignment will be worth 500 points. Points for each section are as follows: 


1. Background Information (25 pts)


2. Initial Tests Administered (25 pts)


3. Results from Initial Testing (25 pts)


4. Goals for Tutoring Sessions: Based in Initial Assessment (25 pts)


5. Observations from Instruction (100 pts)


6. Post-Assessment Results (100 pts) 


7. Summary (100 pts)


8. Recommendations (100 pts) 


7. Summary (100 pts)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work


Late Policy: Late Assignments will earn half credit and will only be accepted for two weeks after the assignment due date. Late Discussions and Quizzes will not be accepted. All discussions, quizzes, and assignments are expected to be created by the student. AI-generated submissions are not permitted and will be treated as plagiarism. 


Make-Up Work/Extra Credit: There are no extra credit opportunities for this course although the professor may choose to award extra credit for exceptional work on individual assignments. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance: Attendance is not graded in an online course. However, it is in your best interest to stay consistently engaged in coursework as each module is published. 

Course Fees

 Fee required $5.00.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.