EDLS 500 Foundations of Reading (3 Semester Hours)
Presents fundamental principles of teaching reading and explores contemporary theoretical and pedagogical issues in literacy, preschool-secondary. The topics focus on comprehension, word knowledge, and social/environmental/psycholinguistic factors in reading and writing development.
EDLS 510 Lifespan Development in Context (3 Semester Hours)
Emphasizes principles of research in human development and the major areas of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical contexts of development as they pertain to learners in schools and the practical application of this research in educational settings.
EDLS 515 Classroom Inquiry (1 Semester Hour)
Provides students an introduction to the function and means of various practices of educational research. Promotes an understanding of the language of educational inquiry, aims and uses of research, various ways of framing research questions and designing studies, and procedures for obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data.
EDLS 520 Literacy Assessment (3 Semester Hours)
Examines principles of assessment and evaluation to plan and evaluate effective reading and writing instruction. Emphasizes how to administer and interpret various assessment instruments, support teachers in administering and interpreting assessment instruments, and lead professional development sessions that provide teachers with the knowledge and understanding of various assessments and how they can be used.
EDLS 525 Developing Literacy through Text Selection: Traditional Print and Digital Literacies (1 Semester Hour)
Explores literature and other/informational texts from traditional print, digital, and online resources to foster an awareness and appreciation of how the integration of a range of texts across the curriculum enhance enjoyment, learning, and classroom reading instruction.
EDLS 530 Reading and Writing in the Content Areas (3 Semester Hours)
Provides in-depth analysis and application of instructional strategies to build students’ reading and writing competencies in content area settings. Instructional strategic approaches focus on helping students meet the demands of reading and producing complex texts, developing vocabulary, and learning with both print and digital texts.
EDLS 535 Integrated Literacy Curriculum (1 Semester Hour)
Examines the foundational knowledge needed to design, implement, and evaluate an integrated, comprehensive, and balanced literacy curriculum to support PK-12 student learning. Brain-based research and its impact on curriculum development and instruction will be analyzed.
EDLS 540 Literacy Strategies for Developmentally Responsive Instruction (3 Semester Hours)
Examines developmental word knowledge and literacy instruction. Students will learn the reading, writing, and spelling behaviors that characterize the five stages of literacy development and learn how to use assessment to plan developmentally responsive literacy instruction.
EDLS 550 Instructional Strategies for Struggling Readers and Diverse Students (3 Semester Hours)
Explores the challenges facing students at all grade levels who struggle to achieve expected progress in reading and writing development. Emphasis will be placed on the nature of difficulties, language acquisition theory, appropriate assessments, and responsive instructional strategies.
EDLS 552 Practicum: Instructional Strategies for Struggling Readers and Diverse Students (3 Semester Hours)
Apply instructional strategies with struggling readers. With supervision from literacy faculty, candidates engage in professional dialogue regarding the relationship of literacy assessment to instructional decisions.
EDLS 560 Brain-based Learning and Cognition (3 Semester Hours)
Provides an overview of major research on neuroscience, metacognition, and cognitive processes in learning and instruction. Focus will be on major theories and research as well as processes and strategy applications in the areas of text comprehension and writing in core content areas.
EDLS 580 Literacy Teacher as Instructional Leader (3 Semester Hours)
Explores the importance of professional learning, leadership, and advocacy as a career-long effort and responsibility. Examines ways to address organizational and instructional changes needed to improve student learning.
EDLS 690 Literacy Action Research and Seminar (3 Semester Hours)
Design and initiate a project that integrates learning experiences, impacts classrooms or schools, and expands knowledge and practice of leadership. The culmination of this action research may take a number of forms including, but not limited to, an article for publication, a conference presentation, or curriculum development.