Course Information
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Teaching Beginning Readers
Course Preview
Graduate Credit: 3 semester hours
Formats: Print & DVD or Online
Level: Grades Pre-K–3
Tuition: $495 / group rate $465
Registration Deadline: March 16, 2012
Complete by: June 30, 2012
Course #: EDU5544
| Grades: |
8 weeks after course completion deadline |
Give your readers the best start to their academic careers by providing a solid foundation in reading and literacy. Through this graduate-level course, you will take a developmental, student-centered approach to reading and literacy instruction. Using the five pillars of reading as an organizational framework, particularly phonemic awareness and phonics, you will explore the characteristics of emergent, beginning, and transitional readers and plan and implement developmentally appropriate assessments, materials, and strategies for their instruction. You will explore the impact oral language has on a student’s literacy development as well and ways to engage family involvement in literacy instruction.
You will be able to apply what you learn immediately to your classroom with lessons developed based on your personal teaching situation, including your literacy program, your students, and your goals for success. Course curriculum aligns with the standards set forth by the International Reading Association.
Some assignments in this course may be more easily completed through student interaction.
Teaching Tangibles
- Understand the foundations of early literacy learning, including word decoding, phonemic awareness, and phonics
- Learn how to implement a Guided Reading lesson that uses before, during, and after reading activities
- Assess and support students’ word knowledge
- Prepare a textual grouping of reading materials to support a theme or unit of study
More Information
Download a course fact sheet to share with your supervisor, principal, and other teaching colleagues who may be interested in learning more about Canter graduate courses. The overview includes a description of the course as well as information on:
- Course topics and outcomes
- Course assessment criteria
- Course format and materials
- System requirements (online format)
- Featured education experts
- Accredited partner universities
Janice F. Almasi, Ph.D.
Dr. Almasi is a former elementary school teacher and reading specialist and is currently the Carol Lee Robertson Endowed Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Kentucky. Her research has examined the contexts in which children learn from text, particularly in terms of strategic processes and peer discussion environments. She has published three books (Teaching Literacy in Third Grade, Teaching Strategic Reading Processes, and Lively Discussions! Fostering Engaged Readers) and her research has been published in journals such as: Reading Research Quarterly, The Journal of Literacy Research, Elementary School Journal, and Educational Psychologist.
Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D.
Dr. Bredekamp is the Director of Research for the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, DC. Her work is in the area of early childhood education and early childhood programs. Dr. Bredekamp has served as a consultant to many programs and initiatives and much of her work has focused on the promotion of professional development for early childhood educators.
Peter Afflerbach, Ph.D.
Dr. Afflerbach is professor and director of the Reading Center at the University of Maryland at College Park and a noted authority on reading assessments. He has been published widely in the field of reading with a particular focus on developmental reading, comprehension, content area reading, and issues in statewide reading assessment.
The following course materials are included in the cost of tuition and will be delivered directly to you:
- Textbook: Literacy for Young Children: A Guide for Early Childhood Educators by P.L. Griffith, S. Beach, J. Ruan, and L. Dunn
- DVD: Teaching Beginning Readers, Grades Pre-K–3
(For online format, the DVD is provided as backup to streaming video online.)
If you order the print & DVD format, you will also receive
the following:*
- Study guide: Teaching Beginning Readers Pre-K–3
- Course information packet
*For online format, the study guide and course information packet are provided in your online classroom.
Prerequisite
This is a graduate-level course; therefore, you must have a bachelor's degree or above to enroll and receive credit.
Earning Graduate Credit
Total coursework for this course is equivalent to a 45 contact-hour course. Graduate credit will be issued when you successfully complete the following course requirements:
- Collaborate with study partner(s) (Print & DVD format only).
- Collaborate with colleagues through discussion boards (Online format only).
- View video segments.
- Complete required text/journal readings, assignments, and the final paper.
Course Completion Deadline
Print & DVD format: coursework must be postmarked on or before June 30, 2012.
Online format: coursework must be submitted online on or before June 30, 2012.
Got a question about this course?
Give us a call 1-800-669-9011 .
