The Syllabus is similar to the syllabus for a course. It is your primary reference for information regarding the module. The online capability of the module allows you to access information directly from Levels II and III of the module, but selected elements of those levels also appear in the syllabus to give you a single source for key information. You may find it helpful to have a hard copy of the syllabus available for reference.

There are nine major goals for this module. Upon completion of this module, you should be able to do the following:

1. Understand the challenge of good comprehension instruction for students with or at-risk for reading disabilities.



2. Know the types of difficulties that an individual with a learning disability may encounter in reading comprehension.



3. Discuss the five basic principles for providing effective comprehension instruction for students with reading disabilities.



4. Discuss the nature of reading as a language-based process and the relationships among the four processes by including their common elements and differences.



5. Identify the kinds of language problems that students with learning disabilities might have that interfere with their reading comprehension.



6. Make specific suggestions for language-based instructional practices in reading comprehension.



7. Discuss the strategic approach to teaching reading comprehension to struggling readers and identify the kinds of strategies involved.



8. Know what students have to do to use the strategies effectively, efficiently, and independently in reading comprehension.



9. Explain the teacher's direct role in strategic instruction.

The Content Outlines are specific to lessons in this module. They allow you to preview the content to be covered in each lesson and to note how the content for the several lessons combines at the module level to meet the goals for the module. You will also find that the Content Outlines will serve as a useful review feature. Later when you have completed the module and wish to review what was covered in the individual lessons you can return to the Content Outlines.

1. Good Comprehension Instruction
   
   
   1. Preview
      1. Sunnyplace schools - teachers discuss students with reading disabilities
      2. Good comprehension instruction for students with reading disabilities
      3. Readings and handouts
      
      
   2. Good Comprehension Instruction
      1. Decoding a message from outer space
      2. Purpose of lesson: to help you develop a framework for thinking about good comprehension instruction for individuals with or at-risk for learning disabilities
      3. Lesson objectives
      
      
   3. The Complexity and Importance of Reading Comprehension
      1. Complexity of reading comprehension
      2. Importance of reading comprehension
      
      
   4. The Nature of Reading Comprehension Difficulties
      1. Patterns of reading disabilities
      2. Confounding problems in reading comprehension
      
      
   5. Mid-Lesson Review
      1. Patterns of reading disabilities
      2. Confounding problems
      
      
   6. Principles of Effective Teaching for Reading Comprehension
      1. Teach comprehension skills and strategies explicitly at all levels
      2. Provide responsive, systematic, intensive instruction
      3. Engage students in authentic reading
      4. Encourage reading for pleasure and provide ample materials at students' independent reading levels
      5. Collaborate with other professionals and use all available support personnel
      
      
   7. Review and Preview
      1. Review
      2. Preview
      
      
   
   
2. Language Connections
   
   
   1. Preview
      1. Sunny School District
      2. Foundations - building language connections
      
      
   2. Language Connections
      1. Signs from around the world
      2. Nature of reading
      
      
   3. Lesson Purpose and Goals
      1. To gain understanding of the connections among listening, speaking, reading, and writing processes; to use these connections to help students with learning disabilities develop a solid language base for reading comprehension.
      2. To gain knowledge about how the processes of language - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - are related
      3. To gain understanding of how underlying language impairments interfere with constructing meaning from text
      4. To gain knowledge about the types of interventions that strengthen the language skills of individuals with learning disabilities
      
      
   4. The Language Basis of Reading
      1. Visual process myths
      2. Underlying skills
      
      
   5. Relationships among Language Processes (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing)
      1. Reciprocity of language processes
      2. Differences in spoken and written language
      
      
   6. Impact of Language Problems on Reading Comprehension
      1. Complex language problems of students with learning disabilities
      2. What language-based problems does Tom have?
      
      
   7. Mid-Lesson Review
      1. Reading is a language-based process
      2. Language processes (listening, speaking, reading, writing) connect in complex ways
      3. Development of language processes is reciprocal
      4. Differences between spoken and written language make transitions from oral to literate styles necessary in teaching
      5. Students with reading disabilities often have underlying language deficits
      
      
   8. Language-Based Instruction
      1. General principles
      2. Specific suggestions
      
      
   9. Review and Preview
      1. Review
      2. Preview
      
      
   
   
3. Strategic Instruction
   
   
   1. Preview
      1. Peace Corps
      2. Teachers should teach reading comprehension strategically so students can construct meaning independently
      3. Five handouts and one reading
      4. Strategic instruction - a valuable approach
      
      
   2. Strategic Instruction
      1. Amanda - a good reader
      2. Gary - a student with learning disabilities
      
      
   3. Purpose and Goals
      1. To orient you to a strategic approach to reading comprehension for struggling readers
      2. To define strategic instruction and its elements
      3. To identify the different kinds of strategies involved in reading comprehension
      4. To see how students can use strategies effectively, efficiently, and independently
      5. To explain your direct role with strategic instruction
      
      
   4. Lesson Questions
      1. What is strategic instruction for reading comprehension?
      2. What do readers have to do to read strategically?
      3. How can teachers teach reading comprehension more strategically?
      
      
   5. Elements of Strategic Instruction
      1. Definitions of strategic instruction and strategy
      2. Strategies, knowledge, and skills
      
      
   6. Reading Comprehension Strategies for Proficient Readers
      1. Goal-specific strategies - used to process specific material
      2. Monitoring strategies - used during the application of goal-specific strategies
      3. Higher-order sequencing strategies - used to help put strategic package together
      
      
   7. Metacognition in Strategy Acquisition and Use
      1. Definition of metacognition
      2. Metacognitive components
      
      
   8. Language Components in Strategy Acquisition and Use
      1. Metacognition is dependent on self-talk
      2. Language knowledge and skills are prerequisites to certain strategies
      
      
   9. Mid-Lesson Review
      1. Strategic instruction for reading involves the teaching of comprehension strategies
      2. Strategies are rules or procedures that guide thinking and action
      3. Strategies are different from knowledge and skills
      4. Goal-specific, monitoring and higher-order sequencing are three kinds of strategies
      5. Strategy acquisition and use require metacognition
      6. Metacognition components: metacognitive knowledge, self-regulation, and motivation
      7. Strategy acquisition and use require language processing and production
      
      
   10. The Teacher's Role in Strategic Instruction
       1. Engineering the environment
       2. Teaching strategies as part of curriculum
       3. Employing effective teaching tactics
       
       
   11. Review
       1. Focus of lesson
       2. Information learned