Instructions
You have written two reports throughout the semester on two
theoretical approaches to teaching literacy—one explaining the bottom-up
approach to literacy instruction (e.g., Gough’s Model, LaBerge and Samuels’
Automatic Information Processing Model, etc.) and one explaining the top-down
approach (e.g., Rosenblatt’s Transactional/Reader Response Theory, Goodman’s
Whole Language Theory, etc.). For your key assessment, you will combine your
two reports into a larger paper. Be sure you have addressed all feedback
received on the two reports in your final paper. In addition to the
two revised theoretical sections (see the guidelines in the syllabus for
detailed directions for what to include in each report), you will add an
introduction section for the entire paper and an overall learning reflection
section as the conclusion to your paper.
Click on this blue text to download the final key assessment
paper template. As stated, the two new sections you will add to the
final report are the introduction* at the beginning and an overall
learning reflection** to conclude the paper. For the introduction
(at least 1 page), you will briefly introduce the entire structure of the
paper, introduce the two contrasting theoretical approaches, and show
how the theoretical approaches compare and contrast. In your overall learning
reflection, be sure to include references to a variety of the course
resources and outside research to demonstrate what you have learned
personally from the course and how the theories and other topics covered will
positively influence your teaching practice (at least 2 pages). In this final
section, be sure to emphasize how your teaching will change because of what you
have learned from this key assessment project and the course as a whole.
The final theories paper document will contain the following
sections in this order:
*Introduction
(approximately 1 page)
Bottom-Up
Theoretical Approach (approximately 6 pages)
2.1. Historical Background and Biographical Sketch of Theorists
2.2. Explanation of Theoretical Approach
2.3. Effects on Student Literacy Achievement
2.4. Classroom Application and Technology Integration
Top-Down
Theoretical Approach (approximately 6 pages)
3.1. Historical Background and Biographical Sketch of Theorist(s)
3.2. Explanation of Theoretical Approach
3.3. Effects on Student Literacy Achievement
3.4. Classroom Application and Technology Integration
**Overall
Learning Reflection (approximately 2 pages)
References
The final should be approximately 15 pages, not
including the title page, references, etc., and the paper must adhere
to APA (7th ed.) guidelines. Professional, academic writing will be expected.
Please refer to the rubric that will be used to score your
paper.
———–Extra Notes from Mary, added 4/7/24
Looking ahead to the final paper, please keep these
areas in mind:
Use
quotations very sparingly, instead lean into paraphrasing. This
resource may help you work on being sure that the words you include are
your own: Paraphrasing
– Purdue OWL® – Purdue University.
Consider
submitting your final paper to Turnitin Coach to check your paraphrasing.
You can find more about that here: Success Tools – Turnitin: Draft Coach (service-now.com) .
For
the final paper, please do not copy any figures or tables. I
would like for you to create at least one on your own–either a figure or
a table to get full credit for that area of the final paper rubric.
You can find more information here about creating and referencing
tables/figures in your paper: APA
Tables and Figures – Purdue OWL® – Purdue University . Figures or
tables need a bolded title with a number, a more specific italicized
title, and note explaining the history of the development (see image below
from the Literacy Theory Paper Example shared in Module 2).
