Language and Literacy Program

Philosophy

Literacy is something bigger and better than mechanical skill in reading and writing. Literacy is a potent form of consciousness. Once possessed, it makes us productive. It irradiates the universe we have created. It remakes our lives. - Robert Pattison

The Language and Literacy Program of Lewis & Clark College applies this dynamic view of literacy to reading and writing instruction in the schools. The program's theoretical bases owes much to the work of Ellin Keene, Donald Graves, Frank Smith, Louise Rosenblatt, Nancie Atwell, and others who believe that reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all language processes. Language users interact with text - oral, written, and visual - in order to construct meaning and create meaningful stories.

The Language and Literacy Program builds on the belief 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 different issues in the teaching of reading and writing. What is literacy? How much does your own literacy affect our language arts instruction? What are the politics of literacy? What can we learn from current research in thought, language, reading, and writing?

Application

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.

These courses in the Language and Literacy Program lead to a Reading Endorsement, allowing candidates to teach reading K-12. The state of Oregon also requires a passing score on the reading specialist test of the PRAXIS (Educational Testing Service) for this endorsement. This program requires 14-15 semester hours of credit and averages 18 months of part-time study. It may also be completed in conjunction with a master of arts in teaching degree and a Continuing Teaching License.

Courses

LA 500/634 LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND DEVLOPMENT

How children acquire language and what they know when they have learned a language. Emphasis is on the relationship among meaning, function, and form in language acquisition - both oral and written. This understanding is used to suggest a school environment that maximizes language learning potential. Language Acquisition and Development is the initial course in the Language and Literacy sequence; it is also recommended preparation for other languages arts offerings. Credit: 3 semester hours

LA 534/614 READING COMPREHENSION: THEORY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

An in-depth exploration of current models and trends in reading comprehension and its cognitive and linguistic components. Students read widely from journals, explore their personal reading processes, and do theoretical and practical projects to further their understandings. This course also examines the factors that contribute to reading difficulty as well as important issues and questions about standardized tests, observational diagnostics, readability formulas, and the effectiveness and theoretical validity of published programs. Credit: 3 semester hours

ED 532/625 ASSESSING READING STRATEGIES: PRACTICUM

A combined seminar and practicum designed to familiarize the classroom teacher or reading specialist with a language orientation for diagnosing reading problems, the causes and correlates of reading difficulties, assessment procedures in reading, and strategies to facilitate readers' improvement. Each student assesses a reader, develops a profile of personal strategies, and designs and implements an instructional plan to help the reader develop effective, efficient reading strategies. Credit: 3 semester hours

LA 502/620 INNOVATIONS IN READING, K-12

Organizing, managing, and evaluating both classroom and schoolwide K-12 reading programs. Students examine the textbook adoption problem, participate in the development and use of a tool for evaluating reading texts, assess components of reading and writing programs, and learn to integrate reading and writing processes throughout the school grades. This course is designed as the capstone course for the Language and Literacy Program and must be taken at the end of the sequence of courses. Credit: 3 semester hours

Electives

Participants in the Language and Literacy Program take one of the following courses:

• LA 501 - Researching and Teaching the Language Arts (required for M.A.T. candidates; 3 semester hours)
  
• LA 523 - Teaching Writing to Adolescents (3 semester hours)
  
• LA 530 - Children's Writing (3 semester hours)
  
• LA 531 - Writing and the Writing Process (2 semester hours)

Other electives, as approved by adviser, may include:

• LA 547 - 19th Century Women Writers (2 semester hours)
  
• LA 561 - Multicultural Literature (Grades 5-12; 2 semester hours)
  
• LA 565 - Literature for Children and Adolescents (2 semester hours)
  
• LA 570 - Readers' Workshop: Coming of Age (2 semester hours)
  
• LA 575 - Seminar in Moral Development, Ethics, and Education (2-3 semester hours)

In addition to these offerings courses offered through the Northwest Writing Institute enrich the programs of students involved in the M.A.T. program. Consult your advisor for more information about how Oregon Writing Project courses, the Bard Institute workshops, and courses in creative writing may be integrated into your program.

Admission

You can find admissions requirement information here; to complete an application online, click here.

For more information, or to make an appointment with an advisor, contact Ruth Shagoury, Coordinator at shagoury@lclark.edu, or contact the office of Teacher Education at lcteach@lclark.edu and 503-768-6100.