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EDUC 90247 (formerly 472 697)

Course details

The content of this website is offered as a postgraduate subject in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. The subject is offered by SELAGE (Studies in Exceptional Learning and Gifted Education) in the area of Learning Disabilities: Literacy.

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.
  • 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.

Course content

  1. The reading process: How fluent readers read
  2. How do readers learn to read?
  3. Explanations of reading difficulties
  4. A literacy diagnostic pathway
  5. Describing reading performance: Which test to use?
  6. Analysing reading performance
  7. Explaining reading performance
  8. Planning a reading programme
  9. Interactive reading of prose
  10. Teaching the oral language knowledge necessary to support reading
  11. Interactive reading of individual words
  12. Modifying instruction in the classroom

Staff
Dr. John Munro
Head of Studies in Exceptional Learning and Gifted Education
Melbourne Graduate School of Education 
Level 2, Room L.220
100 Leicester St   Carlton.

Phone :  61 - 3 - 8344 0953
Email: j.munro@unimelb.edu.au

Ms. Brenda Dalheim  
Placed Lecturer Early Literacy
Studies in Exceptional Learning and Gifted Education
Melbourne Graduate School of Education,
Level 2, Workstation LW.208
100 Leicester St   Carlton.

and
School Adviser
Student Services
Catholic Education Office Melbourne

Phone :  61 - 3 - 8344 9539
Email: b.dalheim@unimelb.edu.au