READ - Reading Education

Course Descriptions

READ 5190 Advanced Studies in Language Development and Acquisition (3)

This is a core course for the reading program. Focus is on teaching students to recognize both normal and disordered/delayed language development in the areas of pragmatics, phonology, semantics, and syntax, and to understand the relationship of this development to reading and reading disabilities such as dyslexia and comprehension deficits. Students will complete a case study on a school age child, evaluating both oral and written language abilities in order to develop a comprehensive program for remediation. (Required for Special Reading Certification.)

READ 5235 Understanding Diverse Reading Profiles, Including Dyslexia (3)

This course explores the literacy needs of students in elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. Students examine and understand the characteristics of a variety of reading profiles and learn about how reading difficulties vary in presentation and degree. Students review federal and state laws pertaining to literacy disabilities, including dyslexia and other reading and language disability subtypes. 

READ 5310 Investigations in Word Recognition (3)

This course is grounded in the science of reading and incorporates reading research and key concepts on how word recognition must be developed in the process of learning to read. This course of study is a focus on how children learn to read and spell, the development of phonological skills, the role of beginning phonics, and how to teach advanced decoding, spelling, and word recognition. Both assessment and differentiation issues are addressed.

READ 5320 Investigations in Comprehension (3)

This course examines the key concepts presented by the science of reading on how reading comprehension must be developed through investigations into issues of fluency, vocabulary instruction, comprehension instruction, and written language.

READ 5412 Instructional Methods for Diverse Reading Profiles, Including Dyslexia (3)

This course addresses Structured Literacy teaching, offering detailed guidance with regard to the nature of effective instruction in each major skill domain (phonological sensitivity and phoneme awareness, phonic and word recognition, reading fluency, vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and written expression). Students focus on educational programming of students with literacy disabilities, instructional techniques, curricular adaptations and modifications, classroom management tactics, and cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Students must attempt and provide the results of the Knowledge and Practice Exam for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI) as required by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI). 

READ 5777 Literacy Coaching (3)

Core components of literacy coaching within a balanced literacy framework are introduced in this core course. Participants will understand exemplary practices and learn how to implement this knowledge in classroom environments using the literacy coaching model. The definition of and roles of the coach, the “coaching, continuum,” and collaboration will be studied in detail. Appropriate for classroom teachers, reading teachers, reading specialists, curriculum coordinators, and administrators.

READ 5940 Literary Strategies K-12 (3)

The emphasis of this course is to expand the students' knowledge of instructional strategies in reading and writing across the curriculum including content areas. Guiding students to use strategies across the curriculum will be a focus along with the use of formative and summative assessments to drive diverse instruction. Students will examine current literacy research and trends in K-12 literacy programs. 

READ 5950 Diagnosis and Correction of Reading Problems (3)

This course is focused on examining the principles and procedures for accurately screening, testing, and diagnosing students with reading disabilities. This course emphasizes the effective use of assessment for detecting and preventing reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Students will explore materials and methods for developing a student-centered approach, which builds on identified strengths and addresses needs. 

READ 5970 Practicum in Diagnosis of Reading Problems (3)

This practicum examines the place of testing, assessment, and evaluation. After exploring the related issues of testing and diagnosis, participants work with small groups and individuals on a regularly scheduled basis in a clinical setting. Classroom participation includes observation, interaction, record keeping, and analysis of specific strengths and needs. (Required for Special Reading Certification.) Prerequisites: READ 5950 and 6 credit hours of READ reading methods courses.

READ 5980 Practicum in Remediation of Reading Difficulties (3)

In this course, candidates focus on interpretation of assessment information, provision of intervention strategies, and recommendations of curriculum materials and methods to encourage and help readers become proficient in reading. One student with whom candidates work must have the characteristics of a student with either dyslexia, a mixed profile, or a compensator profile. Instruction is to be based on the ‘Science of Reading’ and structured literacy: This approach is characterized by the provision of systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse. Embedded in this course is an Action Research project which entails the compilation of your literature review on the science of reading, methodology proposal for intervention, data collection and analysis, and a presentation of the results of this study. Prerequisites: READ 5950 and 6 credit hours of READ reading methods courses.