SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANAUNIVERSITY

SPED 685: Language and Literacy Development for Young Children with Disabilities

Course Description:
Normal and abnormal language development and appropriate intervention procedures for young children with disabilities is explored. Content related to emergent and early literacy and the reading process is discussed in the context of providing candidates with the knowledge and skills to design, organize, and apply developmentally appropriate practices in a literacy program for young children with disabilities. Experience component is required.

TEXT BOOKS REQUIRED: (Both books are in bookstore – for purchase only option). You are welcome to go online and search to find a better price than bookstore….)

Paulson, L. H., Noble, L. A., Jepson, S., & van den Pol, R. (2001). Building Early Literacy and Language Skills. Cambium Learning/Sopris West Publishing. ISBN: Sopris West978-1570353604

Paulson, L. H., & Moats, L. C. (2010). LETRS for Early Education Educators. Cambium Learning/Sopris West Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-60218-502-9

Prerequisite: SPED 200 or 600

STATEMENT OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:

In order to successfully plan, develop, and implement curricula to meet the needs of diverse learners in today's world and to prepare students for the future, the College of Education (COE) has identified four critical components of The Effective Professional: professional standards (PS), knowledge of the learner (KL), best strategies and methods (SM), and content knowledge (CK).The elements of diversity, technology, and dispositions play an integral part in The Effective Professional framework.

Objectives:

  1. Trends and issues in early childhood education and early childhood special education. (EC1K2; PP, CK, T, D)
  2. Similarities and differences among individuals with exceptional learning needs. (CC2K6; KL, CK, D)
  3. Use instructional practices based on knowledge of the child, family, community, and the curriculum. (EC4S1;KL, D, T)
  4. Use knowledge of future educational settings to develop learning experiences and select instructional strategies for young children. (EC4S2;KL, PP, CK, D)
  5. Design, implement, and evaluate environments to assure developmental and functional appropriateness. (EC5S3; KL,SBI,PP,CK,D,T)
  6. Provide a stimuli-rich indoor and outdoor environment that employs materials, media, and technology, including adaptive and assistive technology. (EC5S4; KL,PP,CK,D,T)
  7. Maximize young children’s progress in group and home settings through organization of the physical, temporal, and social environments. (EC5S5; PP,KL,D,T)
  8. Characteristics of one’s own culture and use of language and the ways in which these can differ from other cultures and uses of languages. (CC6K2;KL,PP,D)
  9. Augmentative and assistive communication strategies. (CC6K4; PP,KL,T)
  10. Use strategies to support and enhance communication skills of individuals with exceptional learning needs. (CC6S1; KL,PP,D,T)
  11. Use communication strategies and resources to facilitate understanding of subject matter for students whose primary language is not the dominant language. (CC6S2; D)
  12. Support and facilitate family and child interactions as primary contexts for learning and development. (EC6S1; KL,PP,D)
  13. Plan and implement developmentally and individually appropriate curriculum. (EC7S2; SBI,KL,PP,D,T)
  14. Design intervention strategies incorporating information from multiple disciplines. (EC7S3; CK,PP,D)
  15. Implement developmentally and functionally appropriate individual and group activities including play, environmental routines, parent-mediated activities, group projects, cooperative learning, inquiry experiences, and systematic instruction. (EC7S4; KL,PP,D)
  16. Select, adapt, and use specialized formal and informal assessments for infants, young children, and their families. (EC8S2; SBI,KL, PP, CK, D)
  17. Apply research and effective practices critically in early childhood settings. (EC9S7; PP,D)
  18. Establish and maintain positive collaborative relationships with families. (EC10S5; KL, PP, D)

Learner Outcomes:

By the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of normal and abnormal language development; (CC6S1, EC2K1; SBI,PP,CK,D)
  2. Describe theories and models associated with language and literacy acquisition and the reading process; (CC6K2S1; PP, SBI)
  3. Describe the relationship between brain and neurological development and language and literacy development;(EC1K2; KL, CK,D)
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of oral and written language development and how it is a characteristic of and precursor to literacy development; (CC6S1; KL,PP,CK)
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of the stages of literacy development and the importance of phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, and phonological awareness to literacy; (CC2K6; KL, SBI,PP,CK,D)
  6. Demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of language and literacy developmentally appropriate instructional practices for young children with disabilities including the use of assistive and augmentative communication devices (CC6K4S1; PP,KL,CK,D)

Instruments or Processes Used to Assess Performance: The instruments and/or processes that will be used to assess performance in this course are primarily rubrics created by the course instructor. They will be used to assess the product/assignments required for the course. A final exam will also be used to assess content knowledge of material covered in the course.

EMPIRICAL BASIS:

Bailey, B., & Brookes, C. (2003). Development of private speech and implications for school success and self-control. Young Children, 58, 5, 46-52.

Morrow, L. M., & Casey, H. K. (2004). A professional development project with early literacy teachers: Partners in change. TheReading Teacher, 57, 7, 662-669.

National Research Council (1999). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S, Griffin, P., Editors. Washington, DC: NationalAcademy Press.

Neuman, S. B., Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2000). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Paulson, L. H., Noble, L. A., Jepson, S., & Pol, R. (2001). Building early literacy and language skills. Longmont, CO: Sopris West

Whitehurst, G.J., & Lonigan, C.J. (2000). Emergent literacy: Development from pre-readers to readers. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy development. New York: Guilford.

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:

Friend, M., & Bursuck, W.D., (2004). Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers(3rd ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education Co.

Neuman, S., & Dickinson, D. (Eds.). (2001). Handbook of early literacy development. New York: Guilford.

WEB RESOURCES:

Preschool Zone: Resources for Early Childhood Special Education

Teaching Ideas for Early Childhood Special Educators

Early Childhood Special Education: Teaching Strategies

Early Childhood Special Education (video clips near top)

Early Childhood Special Education Guided Tour (read and scroll down – click on Tour Begins near bottom right of screen)

Additional resources and weblinks can be found under Course Information on MOODLE.

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