The Five Components of Reading

This 3 credit graduate-level course is grounded in Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope Model which illustrates how all the different reading/language processes are needed in order to become a proficient reader. Proficiency includes the development of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, and reading fluency, which includes: oral skills and comprehension.  The Literacy Development section of the course thoroughly examines the changes in the brain as a child learns to read.  The various reading difficulties faced by students, and possible interventions, are analyzed in several of the course sections, including Literacy Development. Research shows that explicit, direct instruction of skills along a predetermined continuum is essential for students to acquire the skills to become a proficient reader by the end of 3rd grade.  Examples and suggested approaches are explored throughout the course. This includes specific suggestions for students with Developmental Language Disorder, Dyslexia, and English Language Learners.   An essential piece of ensuring proficiency in all readers is dedication to the assessment cycle which is also discussed in all sections.  All aspects of the course have been grounded in research based practices.  Experts in the field of reading, child development, and literacy development have been quoted and cited in all course sections.  

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Know and identify phases in the typical developmental progression of oral language, phonological skills, word recognition, spelling, fluency, comprehension and written expression.
2. Apply the science of reading and its importance to your classroom practices.
3. Connect child development to literacy development, how children learn to read, and how the brain learns to read
4. Learn and apply appropriate strategies for student with reading difficulties and/or diverse language learners
5. Critique the foundations of reading
6. Analyze phonological awareness development and instruction
7. Investigate and become knowledgeable about the structure of language
8. Connect the administration & interpretation of assessments to planning instruction
9. Develop phonics and word recognition knowledge related to reading
10. Learn the importance of fluency and the progression of foundational skills needed to become a fluent reader, especially the need for a large sight vocabulary
11. Understand and explain the known causal relationship between phonological skill, phonic decoding, verbal reasoning skill, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing.
12. Understand the factors that contribute to deep comprehension, including background knowledge, vocabulary, verbal reasoning ability, knowledge of literary structures and conventions, and use of skills and strategies for close reading of text.

Optional: Adams State University Credit

*Optional Adams State University credit after the class ends (additional $165).

Class Code

Schoology course code is emailed after payment.