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SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

Fall 2016

Holly L. Storkel I am Professor and Chair of the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing. My

research focuses on understanding how typically developing children learn words

so quickly and why that same process is such a struggle for children with

language impairments. My completed research has provided evidence that certain

words are easier to learn than others. Moreover, which words are easier to learn

depends on the time point when learning is sampled (i.e., immediate learning

during training versus retention following a gap in training) as well as the language

skills of the child. My ongoing research further investigates the different

mechanisms that underlie word learning at different time points and attempts to

translate what is known about the nature of learning, in general, and word learning

deficits, in particular, into an effective treatment for children with language

impairments. Visit my website to learn more! wordlearning.ku.edu

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30-3:45, Robinson 201

How do children learn language? Children have an amazing ability to learn language. By 12 months, infants

produce their first word. From this entree into word learning, vocabulary growth

rapidly accelerates from learning 1-2 words per day in infants and toddlers to

learning 3-4 words per day in preschool children to learning 6-12 words per day

in school-age children. How do typically developing children learn words so

rapidly? Why do children with language impairments learn words so slowly? In

this seminar, we will work together to read research articles that address these

two questions. We will then apply our understanding to generate ideas for

supporting word learning. For example, reading a book to a child is an excellent

way to support word learning but which books should you read? What words in

the text should you focus on? What if you don’t have access to books or your

child doesn’t like books? What other activities could be used to support word

learning? We will communicate what we learn to others who struggle with these

same questions (e.g., parents, teachers) through a class blog.

Contact Info hstorkel@ku.edu; 785-864-0497; Dole Human Development Center 3019

Office Hours Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00, Dole Human Development Center 3019 Thursdays, 1:30-2:30, Dole Human Development Center 3019 Many other times available by appointment (e-mail me to arrange) Come to office hours any time to talk about things in the class you are excited about; things in the class you are struggling with; advice on any aspect of getting involved and being successful in your first semester at KU and beyond! I love giving advice (especially if I don’t have to follow the advice myself)!

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What will we do and why? (Course Objectives) Critical Thinking (KU Core Goal 1)

We will learn (1) how to read and analyze a research article in the behavioral

sciences; (2) how to apply the information to address real world questions

and problems. We will accomplish this by using a modified version of the

CREATE framework: Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze

and interpret the data, Think of the implications in the real world, Educate oth-

er and/or Engage in discovery. Being able to read scholarly publications and

apply the findings to real world issues opens up a whole new world of high

quality information that can help you answer your own questions, whether

part of your academics at KU or part of your job after you graduate.

Information Literacy (There is More to Life than Google )

We will learn how to use search tools common to the behavioral sciences to lo-

cate articles related to our questions. These articles will be used to provide

greater depth to blog postings and will allow each of us to gain more knowledge

around topics of personal interest. We also will learn about different kinds of in-

formation (e.g., scholarly articles vs. expert opinion) and how each type of infor-

mation can be used to answer our questions and communicate our answers via

a blog that will be appreciated by our intended audience. Knowing where to look

for different types of information and how to extract the information from different

sources is the first step towards finding potential answers that are sensitive to

multiple perspectives.

Communication

As already mentioned, we will communicate our ideas about support-

ing word learning through blog postings aimed at parents or other non-

scientists. We also will have opportunities to present our initial an-

swers to questions to each other for early feedback before writing our

blog posts. Answering important questions is an iterative process

where early clear communication can help in developing and refining

answers.

Experiential Learning

We will engage in various hands-on experiences (e.g, trip to the Law-

rence public library, trip to the Dole Institute of Politics, trip to the

Spencer Art Museum, and attendance at a Lied Center performance

designed for children with autism). These experiences will help us

think about how the concepts we are learning about in the classroom

can be applied outside the classroom. We will consider questions

such as….What makes a good children’s book? What public policies

are in place to support children’s learning? What opportunities for lan-

guage learning are available at an art museum? At a theater perfor-

mance? These experiences will aid us in connecting our learning to

the real world and help us explore the Lawrence—KU community.

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CALENDAR Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

Interactive Book Reading: Why? How?

Date In-Class Activities Out-of-Class Activities & Bb Graded Assignments

Aug 23 (T) Syllabus & Class Orientation

Aug 25 (R)

What is “good” information?

Where do we find information?

What is a blog?

Resource: http://www.asha.org/Research/EBP/ (we will

review this in class)

Blog Reading: Read http://www.wordstream.com/blog/

ws/2015/02/09/how-to-write-a-blog-post before class.

Blog Reading: Read 1 — (1) https://

www.earlymoments.com/promoting-literacy-and-a-love-of-

reading/why-reading-to-children-is-important/; (2) http://

www.rif.org/books-activities/tips-resources/reading-with-

your-child/; (3) http://www.reachoutandread.org/why-we-

work/importance-of-reading-aloud/; (4) http://

www.raisesmartkid.com/all-ages/1-articles/14-the-benefits-

of-reading-to-your-child

Assignment: Bring completed blog reflection to class

Aug 30 (T) How do you read a research arti-

cle?

Scholarly Reading: Storkel, Bontempo, & Pak (2014)** —

You don’t need to read this before class. Just bring it to

class.

Handout: Article report template (bring to class)

Sept 1 (R) How do people learn words?

Scholarly Reading: Storkel (2015) first part

Assignment: Bring completed article report to class

Sept 6 (T)

How do people learn words?

What does interactive book reading

look like?

Scholarly Reading: Storkel (2015) second part

Assignment: Bring updated article report to class

Sept 8 (R) Meet at Lawrence Public Library

Assignment: Book evaluation worksheet. We will work

on this in class. You can get credit at the end of class or

bring to next class.

Sept 13 (T) Evaluation of Children’s Books

What is the focus for our blog?

Assignment: Bring completed book report (if not cred-

ited at last class) and completed blog idea worksheet to

class

Sept 15 (R) How to build our blog?

Assignment: Bring blog outline to class

Communication Assignment: Be prepared to present

your blog outline.

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Equity: How Do We Support Learning For All Children?

Sept 20 (T)

What policies are in place to support learning

for all children? What are some of the challeng-

es facing today’s children?

Policy Reading: Class will divide to read one

of the following: (1) Multilingual children; (2)

Children, families, & poverty

Assignment: Bring completed key con-

cepts worksheet for your policy report to class.

Assignment: Visit

www.dolearchives.ku.edu/collections/ada for

an overview of the Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA) of 1990. Bring completed key con-

cepts worksheet to class.

Sept 22 (R) Meet at the Dole Institute of Politics Blog Assignment: Blog 1 Due

Sept 27 (T) Debrief from Dole visit + Guest Panel: Jane

Wegner & Stephanie Meehan

Assignment: Post 5 questions for the

quest panel on blackboard

Sept 29 (R) How can we use interactive book reading to

support learning for all children?

Scholarly Reading: Class will divide to read

one of the following: (1) Goldstein et al (2016);

(2) Rodriguez, Hines, Monitel (2009); (3) Men-

dez et al (2015);

Assignment: Bring completed article re-

port to class

Sept 29 (R) Outside Activity: KU Common Book Keynote by Jabari Asim

5:00-6:30 PM; Budig 130

Oct 4 (T) How can we use interactive book reading to

support learning for all children?

Communication Assignment: Reading

group presentations

Blog Assignment: Blog 1 Comments Due

Oct 6 (R) Library session on searches

Meet at Watson Library 419

Assignment: Bring completed blog ideas

worksheet to class

Oct 6 (R) Outside Activity: Betty H. Bunce Multicultural Lecture by Barbara Rodriguez

5:15-6:15 PM; Price Auditorium in the Computer Services Facility (across from Dole Center)

Oct 11 (T) No Class — Fall Break

Oct 13 (R) What do we want to blog about this topic? Assignment: Bring blog outline to class

CALENDAR (CONT) Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

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CALENDAR (CONT) Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

How Do We Support Learning For All Children In All Places?

Oct 18 (T) How do children with autism learn words?

Scholarly Reading: Brady et al (2015)

Assignment: Bring completed article re-

port to class

Oct 20 (R) How do children with autism learn words?

Expert Panel: Nancy Brady, Kristen Muller

Assignment: Post 5 questions to Bb

Oct 23 –24 Outside Activity: Attend Red Kite, Brown Box at the Lied Center on Sun/Mon at 1, 2, 3, 4

Oct 23-25 Outside Activity: Meet with the cast of Red Kite, Brown Box, Details TBD

Oct 25 (T) Discussion from Red Kite, Brown Box experi-

ence

Assignment: Bring completed reflection

worksheet to class

Blog Assignment: Blog 2 Due

Oct 27 (R) Library Session on Searches

Meet at Watson CLC

Assignment: Spencer Art Museum pre-visit

assignment (due Nov 3)

Nov 1 (T) How does art support language learning?

Scholarly Reading: Brown, Benedett,

Armistead (2010) Study 2

Assignment: Bring completed article re-

port to class

Nov 3 (R) Prepare for First-Year Seminar Colloquium

Further discussion of sources for Blog 3

Submit our colloquium image by Nov 7 (M)

Assignment: Spencer assignment due

Nov 8 (T) Meet at the Spencer Art Museum Blog Assignment: Blog 2 Comments Due

Nov 10 (R) Discussion from Spencer Art Museum experi-

ence; Guest: Ana Paula Mumy

Assignment: Bring completed reflection

worksheet to class;

Assignment: Post 5 questions to Bb

Nov 10 (R) Outside Activity: First-Year Seminar Colloquium, 7:00-8:30, Kansas Union Ballroom

Nov 15 (T) What do we want to blog about?

Assignment: Bring completed blog ideas

worksheet to class

Nov 17 (R) What do we want to blog about?

Assignment: Bring blog outline to class

Communication Assignment: Present blog

outlines for initial feedback

Nov 22 (T) NO CLASS — Thanksgiving Break

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CALENDAR (CONT) Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

What Do You Find Interesting On This Topic?

Nov 24 (R) No Class — Thanksgiving Break

Nov 29 (T) Final Blog Idea Development Day: What is your

question? What is your answer?

Assignment: Bring completed blog ideas

worksheet to class

Dec 1 (R) Final Blog Resource Evaluation Day

What is the evidence to answer your question?

Assignment: Bring 5 resources to class for

your final blog

Blog Assignment: Blog 3 Due

Dec 6 (T) Final Blog Preview:

Outline and Blog Roundtable (n = 9 students)

Communication Assignment: Bring multi-

ple copies of a 1-page outline for your final

blog. Be prepared to give a 1– to 2-minute

overview of your blog. The class will discuss

your blog ideas for ~5-minutes.

Blog Assignment: Blog 3 Comments Due

(Dec 8)

Dec 8 (R) Final Blog Preview:

Outline and Blog Roundtable (n = 10 students)

Dec 12 (M)

1:30-4

Final Exam Period

Blog Sharing

Blog Assignment: Final Blog Due

Communication Assignment: Prepare a 3-

minute blog presentation. Be ready for 4-

minutes of questions/discussion

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REQUIREMENTS

Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

“Regular” Assignments (110 points; 22% of final grade)

“Regular” assignments are assignments that pre-

pare you to participate in class. Typically these in-

volve completing some type of a reading and mak-

ing notes about key points that will be part of the in-

class discussion or generating ideas for your blog

posting, which will be discussed in class so that you

have a solid outline for your blog before you start to

write. Specific instructions are provided on black-

board (courseware.ku.edu). The instructions will

specify how you turn in your assignment. Typically

you will bring it to class either in hard copy or elec-

tronic format and show it to the instructor. These

assignments are graded on a 5-point scale based

on completion. Specifically, 100% completed = 5

points, 80-99% completed = 4 points, 60-79% com-

pleted = 3 points, 40-59% completed = 2 points, 20-

39% completed = 1 point, < 20% completed = 0

points. Blog Assignments (250 points; 49% of final grade)

There are 4 blog assignments (3 during the course

and the final blog). Blogs will be graded for critical

thinking, information literacy, and communication

skills. Instructions for each blog post are available

on blackboard (courseware.ku.edu) along with the

evaluation rubric for each post. Each blog is worth

50 points. Students also are required to comment

on other students blogs to achieve 10 total com-

ments. Each comment is worth 5 points.

Communication Assignments (125 points; 25% of final grade)

There are 5 communication assignments. These assignments involve short oral presentations to the class

either in small groups or individually. Instructions are provided on blackboard (courseware.ku.edu) along

with the evaluation rubric. Communication assignments will be graded based on the accuracy of the infor-

mation and the clarity of the presentation. Each presentation is worth 25 points.

Outside Activities (25 points; 5% of final grade)

5 outside activities are scheduled (multicultural lec-

ture, Lied center performance, meeting with Lied

center cast, first year seminar colloquium, common

book speaker). Students are awarded 5 points for

each activity attended. If you are unable to make a

scheduled activity, see the instructor for an alterna-

tive assignment.

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GRADING

Fall 2016

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

The University has prescribed definitions for grades. The University Senate Rules and Regulations define

grades in the following way:

2.2.1.1 The grade of A will be reported for achievement of outstanding quality

2.2.1.2 The grade of B will be reported for achievement of high quality

2.2.1.3 The grade of C will be reported for achievement of acceptable quality

2.2.1.4 The grade of D will be reported for achievement that is minimally passing but at less than acceptable

quality

2.2.2 The letters F, U (unsatisfactory), and NC (no credit) shall indicate that the quality of work was such

that, to obtain credit, the student must repeat the regular work of the course

The relationship between total points accumulated and quality of achievement is as follows:

Total Points Quality of Achievement Letter Grade

472 — 510 Outstanding

A

457 — 471 A-

442 — 456

High

B+

421 — 441 B

406 — 420 B-

391 — 405

Acceptable

C+

370 — 390 C

355 — 369 C-

340 — 354 D+

Minimal 319 — 339 D

304 — 318 D-

0-303 Inadequate F

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We will write four blog posts in this class. All of our blog posts will follow a specific type of blog post as a

template (see below) to provide a clear structure for our posts. Across the first three blogs, we will increase

our use of outside sources to support the ideas in our blog. We will read each other’s blogs and provide

comments on these first three blog posts to further develop our blogging skills. For the final blog post, we

will build from a topic in our earlier blog posts by identifying a crucial question that we wish to answer. More

details and instructions for each blog assignment are provided on blackboard (courseware.ku.edu).

Blog Post 1: # Post This blog will follow the # Things/Ways post style (e.g., 6 things to do while you read to your child). It will not

require any outside sources. You will use only the assigned readings and experiences for this post.

Blog Post 2: Letter Post This blog will follow the Open Letter to X post style (e.g., An open letter to elementary teachers). It will re-

quire one outside source. You also will use the assigned readings and experiences for this post.

Blog Post 3: How to Post This blog will follow the How to X post style (e.g., How to help your child love reading). It will require two out-

side scholarly sources. You also will use the assigned readings and experiences for this post.

Final Blog Post: Answer Question Post This blog will require you to identify a crucial question from the class/an earlier blog post and answer the

question (e.g., Does book reading improve vocabulary?). It will require a minimum of three outside scholarly

sources. You may also use any readings or experiences from the class to support your position.

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POLICIES

SPLH 177 Out of the Mouths of Babes

Seating

Students will be assigned seats in class and will be expected to sit at their designated computer for every class meeting.

Audio or Video Taping Lecture

All course content is the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the

consent of the instructor is prohibited. On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to record class

time, on the condition that these recordings are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless

explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, course materials, pre-recorded lectures, and recordings of class ses-

sions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual

is enrolled in the course.

Studying

Significant learning may start in the classroom but it should continue to grow outside the classroom when students be-

come actively engaged with the material. In this course, you will be actively engaged with the material outside of class

through completion of readings, in-class exercises, and quizzes. Per KU policy, “A credit hour...approximates not less

than: One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each

week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester … hour of credit, ...or the equivalent amount of work over a differ-

ent amount of time.”

Illness Policy

Please do not attend class if you are ill but notify the instructor immediately (i.e., at class time or before). Generally, doc-

umentation is not required for an infrequent illness, and minor accommodations will be made to course requirements

based on the student’s report of the illness. In the case of multiple absences, documentation will be required before ac-

commodations will be made.

Academic Misconduct

Students are expected to observe all University guidelines pertaining to academic misconduct. This policy also is posted

on blackboard.

Accommodations

Student Access Services, part of the Academic Achievement & Access Center, works with all units at the University to

ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed. Students who have special needs may require special accom-

modations to meet course requirements. Requests for accommodations should be made in advance. To find out more information,

please contact Student Access Services (http://www.disability.ku.edu/) to acquire the proper documentation.

If a scheduled requirement is in conflict with a mandated religious observance, you must notify the instructor in writing (e-

mail is acceptable) within one week of receiving this syllabus so that an alternative arrangement can be made in advance

of the scheduled requirement.