Course Outline

Course outline

This subject reviews contemporary theories and explanations of learning  disabilities in literacy. Implementation issues such as word,  sentence and topic level processes are examined. Contemporary diagnostic  and education programs and practices for students with learning disabilities in  literacy are analysed and evaluated in terms of current research. In addition,   strategies for the provision of assistance at the systemic, school and classroom levels are examined.

Objectives     

On completion of this subject you should be able to

• identify the processes involved in fluent reading and use these to describe reading disabilities
  
  
• identify the developmental trends to acquiring literacy knowledge and use these to explain and diagnose reading difficulties and to implement effective teaching
  
  
• identify the causes of different types of reading disability (psycholinguistic, information processing, phonological, cognitive, metacognitive) and the implications of these for diagnosis and teaching
  
  
• evaluate procedures for diagnosing and reporting literacy difficulties, implement a diagnostic program; describe, analyse and explain reading disabilities, select the appropriate assessment procedures, use dynamic assessment procedures, integrate diagnostic information from a range of sources.
  
  
• develop integrated learning support programmes for students who have reading disabilities that include teaching systematically reading strategies at the pre-, while and post- reading phases, orthographic and phonological knowledge and positive self efficacy and attitudes to reading.
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• identify the characteristics of successful literacy instructional programs according to particular literacy learning disabilities, evaluate the effectiveness of literacy education programs intended for use with students who have learning difficulties in literacy and
  
  
• develop and implement education programmes that are supported by current research.
  

This subject encompasses the following generic skills:  On completion of this subject you should be able to

• analyse critically approaches to the assessment of reading disabilities,  procedures used to diagnose and remediate reading disabilities,  theories and explanations of reading disability.
  
  
• develop a problem solving approach to the diagnosis of specific  learning disabilities.
  
  
• develop skills in communicating the nature of particular cases of reading disabilities to teachers,  parents and students.
  
  
• use the model of literacy knowledge to plan a schedule for implementing a literacy support program.
  
  
• work in a team with other professionals in analysing and reporting reading disabilities.
  
  
• display positive attitudes to the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities.