MCCCD Program Description

Essential Elements of Elementary Reading and Writing Instruction K-8

Course: EPD271AA

First Term: 2025 Fall

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S - Standard Load

Description: Overview of the interrelated critical components of reading and writing instruction. Focus on developmental stages, benchmarks, and research-based instructional strategies to effectively teach literacy in the elementary grades.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Analyze research, theory, and principles of the development of reading and writing skills in the elementary grades. (I) 2. Examine the importance and progression of the development continuum of phonological awareness in the language acquisition process. (II) 3. Examine knowledge of the alphabetic principle, including graphophonemic knowledge and the relationship of the letters in printed words to spoken language. (III, IX) 4. Examine instruction in graphophonemic knowledge. (III, IX) 5. Analyze instructional methods of systematic phonics instruction. (III, IX) 6. Identify word identification skills and strategies for reading words in text. (III, XI) 7. Identify strategies to explicitly teach academic vocabulary and oral language. (IV, IX) 8. Identify the components of reading fluency and the relationship between reading fluency and reading comprehension. (V) 9. Identify expected developmental benchmarks in reading fluency. (V) 10. Describe continuous classroom assessment techniques to monitor and improve instruction. (VI) 11. Identify components of systematic comprehension instruction. (VI) 12. Examine strategies for teaching literal, inferential, critical, and evaluative comprehension skills. (VI, IX) 13. Examine a variety of comprehension theories/models and their impact on instructional strategies. (VI, IX, X) 14. Analyze instructional techniques for providing systematic spelling instruction. (VII) 15. Identify the developmental continuum of written language development, including physical and cognitive processes and their effect on instruction. (VII, VIII, IX) 16. Design and implement a literacy block involving direct instruction, small group guided reading instruction, literacy stations, and independent practice that incorporates the Essential Elements of Reading and Writing Instruction. (IX-XI)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Research on reading and writing instruction A. National Panel of Reading Report B. National Institute of Child Health Development (NICHD) Education C. Arizona Instructional Statutes and House Bill 2732 D. Arizona Reading Legislation~Arizona Reads, Reading First 1. Core curriculum 2. Universal screener requirement 3. Response to Intervention (RTI) Tiers II. Phonological awareness A. Definitions and purpose in literacy development 1. Phonological awareness 2. Phonemic awareness B. Continuum of skills and age-appropriate benchmarks 1. Concept of a word 2. Syllables 3. Onset/rime 4. Alliteration 5. Rhyming 6. Phonemic awareness III. Phonics A. Definitions and purpose in literacy development B. Graphophonemic knowledge 1. Letter identification 2. Decoding 3. Alphabetic principle 4. Phonics continuum 5. Concepts of print 6. Word identification C. Instructional strategies 1. Systematic instruction 2. Explicit instruction of skills 3. Multi-sensory activities IV. Vocabulary A. Definitions and purpose in literacy development 1. Technical vocabulary 2. Academic vocabulary B. Research C. Instructional strategies 1. Etymology 2. Morphemic analysis 3. Contextual analysis 4. Before, during, and after reading strategies V. Fluency A. Definition and purpose in literacy development 1. Rate 2. Accuracy 3. Prosody B. Developmental benchmarks C. Research 1. Correlation to comprehension 2. Considerations D. Instructional strategies VI. Comprehension A. Definitions and purpose in literacy development 1. Literal 2. Inferential 3. Critical 4. Evaluative B. Theory/models 1. Types 2. Effects on instructional strategies C. Factors affecting comprehension 1. Textual 2. Contextual 3. Student factors 4. Considerations D. Instructional strategies 1. Building schema 2. Graphic organizers 3. Text/genre specific E. Assessment VII. Spelling A. Definition and purpose in literacy development B. Graphophonemic levels of development C. Orthographic patterns D. Instructional strategies 1. Systematic instruction 2. Transfer to writing and reading VIII. Writing A. Writing process B. Developmental continuum C. Essential traits of writing D. Genre-specific instruction IX. Methods of reading instruction A. Primary grades B. Intermediate grades X. Reading levels and reading materials A. Characteristics of emergent and fluent readers B. Characteristics of leveled reading text C. Assessment and progress monitoring XI. Components of guided reading instruction A. Components B. Cues 1. Visual 2. Semantic 3. Contextual 4. Self-correction

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: April 22, 2025

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.