GED 640 - Language and Learning

The teaching of language is vast and often feels amorphous. Language transcends every area of culture and our experiences. In this course, students will fine-tune their lens on language development (from birth to adulthood) and its impact on learning. Rather than teaching language using isolated, disjointed methods, participants will learn to weave language instruction seamlessly into their current curricula. Early identification of weaknesses as well as strategies to determine the area of language that is challenging for the student will be studied. Participants will reflect on the massive implications of language weakness on a student’s overall academic experience. Areas of language disorder, the assessment process and tools, and the criteria for a language impairment will be reviewed. Strategies for providing support, accommodation, and modification within the general and special education setting will be illuminated. Participants will employ the creative process of designing language-rich curricula that utilizes the accommodations and modifications necessary for students with language deficits to enrich the content for all learners. This exploration will include the use of assistive technology.

Prerequisites:
GED 522 Teaching Literacy in the Elementary Classroom, GED 643 Multisensory Language-Based Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities or GED 606 Literacy Development and Instruction K-8, or permission from the advisor.

Credits: 3 cr.