Course Information
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The Effective Reading Teacher®†
Course Preview
Graduate Credit: 3 semester hours
Formats: Print & DVD or Online
Level: Grades K–6
Tuition: $510*
Registration Deadline: July 19, 2013
Complete by: October 31, 2013
Course #: EDUC-6945T
| Grades: |
10 weeks after receipt of coursework |
*For Print & DVD format, add $30 fee for Course Study Guide (required)
Learn how you can become a more effective reading teacher with this foundational course that guides you through the various stages of literacy development. You’ll begin by exploring the historical perspectives in literacy education and the social, economic, and political forces that impact today’s classroom. Then you’ll learn the core concepts that support literacy instruction such as language development, writing, learner diversity, and assessment.
You’ll also explore a new mind-set for reading and literacy that goes beyond strategies to examine a developmental approach to literacy instruction, new literacies, and the factors that influence reading motivation. Through current research in the field and discussions with colleagues, you will gain the knowledge and perspectives to increase your competency and confidence and, in turn, help your students become more engaged and proficient readers and writers. 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
- Identify a student’s stage of literacy development and the strategies required to meet literacy needs.
- Learn foundational literacy concepts, including the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension).
- Analyze literacy assessments, including cognitive and noncognitive assessments.
- Generate ideas, activities, and strategies to increase student motivation consistent with current research on reading.
- Learn ways to continue your own professional development and grow as an effective teacher.
†Credits for up to four of these courses may be applied toward a Walden University M.S. in Education program. Please call 1-866-492-5336 and speak to an Enrollment Advisor for more details.
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
Linda Darling-Hammond, Ed.D.
Dr. Darling-Hammond is the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University, where she serves as principal investigator for the School Redesign Network and is a director of the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute. She was the founding executive director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, which produced the widely cited 1996 blueprint for education reform, What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future. Dr. Darling-Hammond’s work focuses on educational policy, teaching and teacher education, school restructuring, and educational equity. Among her more than 200 publications is The Right To Learn, which received the 1998 Outstanding Book Award from the American Educational Research Association, and (as co-editor) Teaching as the Learning Profession: A Handbook of Policy and Practice, which was awarded the National Staff Development Council’s Outstanding Book Award in 2000.
Linda Gambrell, Ph.D.
Dr. Gambrell is professor and director of the School of Education at Clemson University. She was a principal investigator at the National Reading Research Center, where she directed the Literacy Motivation Project. Dr. Gambrell received the International Reading Association’s (IRA) Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award. She has written extensively on reading instruction and literacy motivation and is the author of Lively Discussions: Fostering Reading Engagement.
Donald Leu, Ph.D.
Dr. Leu is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of technology and literacy, and he writes a column for The Reading Teacher about the application of technology in literacy instruction. He holds the John and Maria Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Leu is the co-author of Effective Literacy Instruction: K–8 and Teaching with the Internet: Lessons from the Classroom, as well as the author of numerous journal articles and books.
The following course materials are included in the cost of tuition and will be delivered directly to you:
- Textbook: Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach, by G.E. Tompkins
- DVD: The Effective Reading Teacher®
(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: The Effective Reading Teacher®
- 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 submitted via email to WaldenCourseworkSubmission@waldenu.edu on or before October 31, 2013.
Online format: coursework must be submitted online on or before October 31, 2013.
System Requirements
Operating system for PC: Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, or
Windows® 7
Operating system for Mac®: OS X or higher
Processor: 1 GHz, 32/64 bit or higher
Memory: Minimum 512 MB of RAM; 1 GB recommended
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer® 6.0 or higher; Firefox® 3.6 (also for Mac®: Apple® Safari® 4 or higher)
Internet connection: Broadband (DSL, cable modem, or similar) required
Software: Microsoft Word®, Adobe® Flash® Player 7 or higher (free), Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® version 8 or higher (free)
Monitor resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels or higher
Note: If you are using a Macintosh®, please be sure to download Mozilla® Firefox® 3.6. It’s free, and the download should take only a few minutes at http://www.mozilla.org/.
Got a question about this course?
Give us a call 1-800-669-9011
