Catalog 2007-2008
Graduate School of Education and Counseling
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Language and Literacy: Reading Endorsement Program
Lewis & Clark's Language and Literacy: Reading Endorsement Program applies a dynamic view of literacy to reading and writing instruction in the schools. The program's theoretical base owes much to the work of Linda Rief, Stephanie Harvey, Ellin Keene, Stephen Krashen, Donald Graves, Louise Rosenblatt, and others who believe that reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all language processes. Language users interact with text--oral, written, and visual--to construct meaning and create meaningful stories.
The Language and Literacy: Reading Endorsement Program builds on the knowledge that language, in all its richness of form and function, is the foundation from which effective literacy evolves. The program takes an integrated and holistic approach to the teaching of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students and teachers develop flexible strategies to support the reader's construction of meaning from text. Adopting the stance of teacher-researchers, students and faculty explore issues in the teaching of reading and writing. What is literacy? How does our own literacy affect our instruction of language arts? What are the politics of literacy? What can we learn from current research in thought, language, reading, and writing?
To apply this philosophy to the realities of the school world, teachers of language and literacy must know how people--especially children--learn. Teachers must also be able to apply this understanding to language and literacy development in a wide variety of cultures and subcultures. The goal of this program is to give educators the tools to observe, describe, and learn from the behaviors of their students and to build cohesive theoretical bases for learner-centered literacy programs.
The courses in the Language and Literacy Program lead to the Reading Endorsement, allowing candidates to teach reading K-12. For this endorsement, the state of Oregon also requires a passing score on the Praxis reading specialist test. The program requires 14-15 semester hours and can be completed in 18 months of part-time coursework. It may also be completed in conjunction with a master of arts in teaching degree.
Required Courses
(Although courses are not arranged in a fixed sequence, LA 500 is considered the foundation course and LA 502 the culmination of the program.)
LA 500/634 or ESOL 507 Language Acquisition and Development, 3 semester hours
LA 502/620 Innovations in Reading, K-12, 3 semester hours
LA 534/614 Reading Comprehension: Theory and Practical Application, 3 semester hours
ED 532/625 Assessing Reading Strategies: Practicum, 3 semester hours
Elective Courses
LA 501/632 Researching and Teaching the Language Arts, 3 semester hours
LA 515 Drama for Learning and Social Action, 2 semester hours
LA 523/612 Teaching Writing to Adolescents, 2 semester hours
LA 530/630 Children's Writing, 2 semester hours
LA 531/610 Writing and the Writing Process, 2 semester hours
Other electives may be approved by the faculty adviser.
Note: Courses offered through Lewis & Clark's Northwest Writing Institute, described elsewhere in this catalog, enrich the programs of M.A.T. students. Interested students should consult their advisers for more information about how Oregon Writing Project courses, the Bard Institute workshops, and courses in creative writing can be integrated into their programs.