Licensure Only
Specialist Teacher in Reading (Levels: All) Leading to Initial Teacher License

This program is for licensed classroom teachers with a Master's degree who want further certification as a Specialist Teacher in Reading. The program offers thorough training in literacy strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners. Students work with professors on literacy research, pedagogy, and policy, and focus on staff development as well as direct services to students. Students apply their coursework to a practicum experience and return to their school with a wealth of specialized knowledge applicable to a range of settings, student populations, and consultant roles. The number of credits required for program completion depends on the student's previous coursework and work experience. This program is currently offered on- and off-campus (off-campus prerequisite: graduate of the Lesley Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Literacy program).

Prerequisites: Master's degree and Initial or Professional License for Classroom Teacher or Special Education Teacher

*Must be completed prior to the practicum.
**Must be completed prior to the practicum and include field-based assignments.

NOTE: An Initial or Professional License and at least one year of teaching experience under that license are required by the Massachusetts Department of Education to be eligible for a license as a Specialist Teacher in Reading.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

EEDUC 5121 Literacy: The Integration of the Language Arts
This course presents fundamental principles of elementary reading and language arts. Focus is on students understanding the interrelationship of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will also become knowledgeable about current materials, instructional strategies, and classroom-based assessment for emergent reading, beginning reading, and fluent reading.

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EEDUC 5122 Development and Learning: Psycho-social Perspectives in Education
This course focuses upon constructivist-interactionist views of child development, spanning the preschool years through adolescence and young adulthood. Topics include early development, play, children’s art, cognitive development and learning, family systems and social learning, classroom instruction and organization, communication, curriculum and cognition, evaluation and assessment, language development and literacy, moral development, gender differences, and developmental diversity among individuals and across cultures including race, ethnicity, linguistic background, and economic conditions.

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EEDUC 5104 Literature for Children and Young Adults
This survey of children’s books from preschool through the adolescent years identifies the characteristics of the various literary genres, develops criteria for evaluating children’s books, fosters an awareness and nurtures a consideration of how the developmental and diverse cultural needs of children affect their responses to literature, and shares strategies for integrating literature across the curriculum for enjoyment, learning, and classroom reading instruction.

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EEDUC 6101 Content Area Reading/Writing/Study Skills (4–12)
Reading curriculum is studied with emphasis on comprehension, content area reading, study skills, and readers with diverse needs in upper elementary, middle, and high school.

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EEDUC 6102 Language and Literacy: Development and Diversity
This course examines diverse aspects of language acquisition and literacy development with emphasis on educational implications. The major theories and current research in first and second language acquisition are reviewed. Educational topics in language and literacy are addressed, including concerns for reading, writing, oral language, phonics, spelling, academic English, grammar, language assessments, and language-based disabilities. Linguistic and cultural diversity, bilingualism, and second language acquisition are considered throughout.

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EEDUC 6001 The Teaching of Writing (K–12)
This course promotes the thoughtful examination of writers and writing instruction. Throughout the course, students are introduced to strategies and skills they can use to enhance their own writing and the writing of K–12 students. Using a process approach, students learn how to communicate ideas effectively in a variety of genres and for a multitude of purposes. Based on the most current understandings in the field, this course explores such topics as writer’s workshop, conferencing, struggling writers, assessment, reading/writing connections, writing in the disciplines, revision and editing, the use of technology to support writers, and the management of writing instruction.

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EEDUC 6136 Struggling Readers and Writers
This course explores the nature of the challenges facing those students at all grade levels who struggle (for diverse reasons) to achieve expected progress in reading and writing development. Participants will describe and analyze the nature of difficulties encountered by struggling readers and writers; they will identify appropriate classroom approaches to address these difficulties and will survey the many well-established programs for learners who are struggling. Issues related to serving diverse populations are raised throughout. Prerequisites: For matriculating students in the Reading and Special Education programs only. For Reading students–EEDUC 5121, EEDUC 6001, and EEDUC 6101; For Special Education students–ESPED 5100, ESPED 5114, and ESPED 6122.

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EEDUC 6135 Assessment: A Literacy Perspective
This course examines principles of assessment and evaluation in the language arts, with emphasis on reading and writing, for the literacy educator. The central concern is the role of assessment in instruction for both individual students and whole classrooms. Topics of study include the nature of data collection, analysis and interpretation in various assessment approaches, and issues related to serving diverse student populations. Prerequisites: EEDUC 5121, EEDUC 6001, and EEDUC 6101.

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EEDUC 7103 Roles of the Language Arts Professional: Consultation and Collaboration
Emphasizing consultative and collaborative approaches, students explore the varied roles of a consultant teacher of reading involving areas such as professional development; materials and curriculum development; materials, curriculum, and program evaluation; and the coordination and implementation of legislation and funded programs.

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EEDUC 7102 Research in Reading
Research paper on a reading issue is completed concurrently as library resources are discussed, research studies evaluated, and critical issues reviewed.

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EEDUC 7105 Practicum: Interactive Assessment and Instruction for Literacy
Instruction and supervised practicum experience in the use of formal and informal methods of literacy assessment from emergent to mature levels of ability. From the ongoing analysis of assessment results, each tutor develops a specific instructional program for a tutee. Emphasis is on the interaction of assessment and instruction, and the revision of instructional goals based on the analysis of daily performance. Prerequisites: EEDUC 5104, EEDUC 5121, EEDUC 5122, EEDUC 6001, EEDUC 6101, EEDUC 6102, EEDUC 6135, and EEDUC 6136 (or equivalents).

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Lesley University reserves the right to unilaterally add, withdraw, or revise any course offering in the above-mentioned program of study, including policies, provisions, requirements, and fees.

Lesley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or disability in its education programs, employment, or in admissions to, access to, or treatment in its programs or activities.