Elective Courses
EDU 6105/Current Issues in Dyslexia: Dyslexia Identification Process, Kindergarten
and Beyond: Identifying dyslexic students involves more
than administering a battery of tests. A team approach, involving persons with
pertinent information regarding the students is integral to the identification
process, and central to the team are knowledgeable classroom teachers. The key
to successful remediation is early identification--which, according to current
research, can be accomplished for children as young as five years of age, before
they experience real failure. An outline of steps for early identification
is presented in depth.
EDU 6106/Project Read: Written Expression: Project Read/Language Circle is an alternative language
arts program that offers a systematic learning experience with direct teaching
concepts through multisensory techniques. Framing Your Thoughts: The
Written Expression Strand delineates a process for expressing thoughts in
written form. The abstract concepts of sentence construction and word
function are developed concretely with symbols.
EDU 6107/Project Read: Story Form: Project Read/Language Circle
is an alternative language arts program that offers a systematic learning
experience with direct teaching concepts through multisensory techniques.
The Reading Comprehension curriculum presents the underlying structure and
format of language in both expository and narrative forms. This strand is
divided into Report Form (expository) and Story Form (narrative) written
information. It teaches a process of analyzing the underlying structure of
expository and narrative writing.
EDU 6108/SALT (Structured Accelerated Language Training: Presentation of techniques
for modifying academic language therapy, bridging from word attack to reading
comprehension, organizing and extending thoughts for written expression, and
improving handwriting skills.
EDU 6109/WorkSmart:
Many bright curious children struggle in school due to a learning difference
called dyslexia. The biggest problem most students with dyslexia face is
not the learning difference itself, but the way they cope with it.
WorkSmart provides a strategy for increasing dyslexic
students' self-esteem and advocacy competencies.
EDU 6110/Automaticity and Rate: Reading and writing success begins with
developing proficient decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills. Beyond
basic decoding and encoding, students also need an understanding of how
different kinds of text are organized, as well as repertoire of strategies for
understanding these texts. These strategies must be developed to a level of
automaticity that does not require conscious thought or effort. Explicit
suggestions for developing automaticity in all of these areas are outlined.
EDU 6115/Early Language Development: Phonological Awareness: Phonological awareness involves an appreciation of the sounds as well
as the meanings of spoken words. Recent research has confirmed that children who
have a greater degree of phonological awareness when they enter school are
better equipped to learn to read. A more advanced form of phonological awareness
is called phoneme awareness, which is the understanding that speech can be
broken down into even smaller units called phonemes. Few preschoolers
spontaneously attain phonemic awareness, but many studies have shown that they
can acquire this understanding by engaging in activities that draw their
attention to the existence of phonemes in spoken words. This course explores
current research as well as teach appropriate activities to help build these
skills.
EDU 6116/Procedures & Measures for Assessing Students for Dyslexia: This course serves as a
guide for developing a referral, assessment, and placement process for
identifying the student with dyslexia. Time is devoted to analyzing all existing
information on the student, including formal test results in order to make an
educational identification of dyslexia. In addition, this course focuses on
accommodations, modifications, and teaching strategies that may be used for the
dyslexic student in the regular classroom.
EDU 6117/Project Read: Report Form: Project Read/Language Circle
is an alternative language arts program that offers a systematic learning
experience with direct teaching concepts through multisensory techniques.
The Reading Comprehension curriculum presents the underlying structure and
format of language in both expository and narrative forms. This strand is
divided into Report Form (expository) and Story Form (narrative) written
information. It teaches a process of analyzing the underlying structure of
expository and narrative writing.
EDU 6118/Characteristics of Dyslexia:
Students will engage in an in-depth study of dyslexia in this course. Students
will examine current research related to dyslexia and topics pertaining to
reading intervention and accommodations.
EDU 6134/Survey of Learning Strategies, Study Skills: Emphasizes learning styles and processes, as
well as organizational patterns and cognitive development of the dyslexic student.
Surveys study skills and learning strategies used in the classroom and clinical
practice.
For More Information
SMU Learning Therapy Program
SMU-in-Plano
5236 Tennyson Pkwy, Bldg. 4, Suite 108
Plano, TX 75024
Phone: 214-SMU-READ (768-7323)
Fax: 972-473-3442
learning@smu.edu