Psychology 3143G-001

Reading Ability and Disability

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

This course examines the cognitive processes involved in the development of reading ability and skilled reading. Topics will include predictors of reading success, theories of reading ability, eye movements, reading comprehension, and dyslexia.

 

Antirequisite: the former Psychology 3142E.

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2134A/B, Psychology 2135A/B, or Psychology 2410A/B.

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

3 seminar hours; 0.5 course

 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. Mark McPhedran

       Office: SSC 7207                                        

       Office Hours: Mondays 4:45-5:45

       Email: mmcphedr@uwo.ca

 

            Time and Location of Classes: Monday 3:30-4:30, Wednesday 3:30-5:30 UCC 54B                                                                                   

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Seidenberg, M. (2017). Language at the speed of sight: How we read, why so many can’t, and what can be done about it. New York: Basic Books.

Additional readings will be posted to OWL.

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students are expected to acquire an understanding of the cognitive processes that underpin skilled reading and in learning to read, and causes of difficulties in reading acquisition. Students are additionally expected to gain an appreciation of the complexity of the process of learning to read, the multiple factors that contribute to success or failure, and the consequences of poor reading skills.

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Articulate the concepts and current states of knowledge in natural science (i.e., biological basis of behaviour, cognition and/or perception)

Lectures, discussions in class

3 Tests

Access, interpret and critically evaluate appropriate research in psychology.

Lectures

2 Assignments

Assignments 1 and 2

Evaluate the appropriateness of different methodological approaches to address a specific psychological question

Lectures

Assignments

 

Assignments 1 and 2

Use evidence to support claims

Lectures

3 Tests

Communicate orally accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology

Symposium presentation

Feedback from peers

Grade on presentation

Communicate in writing accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology

Assignments

Assignments 1 and 2

3 Tests

Apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems

Lectures, discussions in class

3 Tests

 

5.0     EVALUATION

There will be 2 written assignments; each of these is worth 15% of the final grade. The assignments will be approximately 5-6 pages each. Each student will present in one symposium on reading in special populations. This will involve a 10-minute presentation of 1 journal article, plus introductory and summary remarks developed with a group. The presentation is worth 15%. Written feedback given to students in other symposia is worth 5%. There will be two mid-term tests during the course, each worth 15%, and a final exam worth 20%. Midterms will be in written format (i.e., not multiple choice), while the final exam may include multiple-choice as well.

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%. 

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail


6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Mid-term tests will be held in class on February 4 and March 11. The final exam will be held during the April exam period (April 11-30). Assignments will be due March 6 and April 8. Late assignments will incur a penalty of 10% per day, including weekends. 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Jan. 7        Course Introduction

Jan. 9        Speech vs Print

Jan. 14       Writing systems

Jan. 16       Eye movements in reading

Jan. 21       Orthography; Statistical learning

Jan. 23       Word reading in skilled readers

Jan. 28       Skilled reading comprehension

Jan. 30       The Reading Brain

Feb. 4        Mid-term 1

Feb. 6        Home literacy in preschoolers

Feb. 11      Early predictors of success in reading

Feb. 13      Phonological awareness

Feb. 18-20  Reading Week (no class)

Feb. 25      Learning to read words

Feb. 27      Learning to read words

Mar. 4        Developing word reading fluency

Mar. 6        Developmental reading disability           

Mar. 11      Mid-term 2

Mar. 13      The development of reading comprehension ability 

Mar. 18      The development of reading comprehension ability 

Mar. 20      Special populations: Symposia 1 & 2

Mar. 25      Special populations: Symposium 3

Mar. 27      Special populations: Symposia 4 & 5

Apr. 1        Reading Assessment; International Assessments

Apr. 3        Interventions for word reading difficulties

Apr. 8   Interventions for reading comprehension difficulties

8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2018 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.