| (a) Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Standards. The
STR standards identified in this section are targeted for classroom
teachers of early learners (birth through age eight). The standards
address the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of
teaching early reading. The standards inform proper teaching techniques,
strategies, teacher actions, teacher judgements, and decisions by
taking into consideration theories of learning, understandings of
students and their needs, and the backgrounds and interests of individual
students. The standards are also aligned with the Texas Prekindergarten
Guidelines and Chapter 110 of this title (relating to Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading). The standards
address early reading content knowledge in Prekindergarten-Grade 6,
with an emphasis on Prekindergarten-Grade 3, in order to meet the
needs of all early learners and address vertical alignment. Candidates
in the following categories of classroom teachers will be assessed
by the STR standards:
(1) Early Childhood: Prekindergarten-Grade 3;
(2) Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading:
Early Childhood-Grade 6;
(3) Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading:
Grades 4-8;
(4) English Language Arts and Reading with Science
of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8; and
(5) English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies
with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8.
(b) Knowledge of Reading Development Components. Classroom
teachers identified in subsection (a) of this section demonstrate
understanding of Kindergarten-Grade 6 Texas Essential Knowledge and
Skills and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines pertaining to reading
and apply knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and
evidence-based assessment, and instructional practices to promote
students' development of grade level skills within the following components
of reading:
(1) oral language development;
(2) print awareness and alphabet knowledge;
(3) phonological and phonemic awareness;
(4) phonics (decoding and encoding);
(5) reading fluency;
(6) vocabulary development;
(7) syllabication and morphemic analysis;
(8) comprehension of literary text;
(9) comprehension of informational text; and
(10) beginning strategies and reading comprehension
skills.
(c) Reading Pedagogy. Classroom teachers identified
in subsection (a) of this section demonstrate understanding of the
principles of reading instruction and assessment and use a range of
instructional strategies and assessment methods to promote students'
development of foundational reading skills, including:
(1) providing explicit, systematic instruction that
is sequential and multimodal (e.g., sequential lessons, gradual release
model, structured literacy);
(2) implementing both formal and informal methods of
measuring student progress in early reading development;
(3) implementing, designing, and executing developmentally
appropriate, standards-driven instruction that reflect evidence-based
best practices; and
(4) acquiring, analyzing, and using background information
(familial, cultural, educational, linguistic, and developmental characteristics)
to engage all students in reading, including students with exceptional
needs and English learners.
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