EDPA 301: Best Practices for Teaching Literacy

Instructor: Alyson Spearin 

Teachers, literacy specialists, interventionists and educational technicians will consider best practices in delivering and reinforcing literacy instruction. This course considers foundational literacy knowledge with practical application for Pre-K through elementary school classrooms.

Upon completion of this course, participants will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for best practices in literacy.

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

• • • • Understand and apply the concepts and strategies for improving literacy instruction with their students.
• Develop a plan of action to apply what they have learned for effective literacy instruction.

Materials Required:

 Barone, D. M., & Mallette, M. H. (2013). Best practices in early literacy instruction. The Guilford Press.  This is available as a Kindle book or paperback.  The most inexpensive way to purchase it is on the publisher’s website: https://www.guilford.com/books/Best-Practices-in-Early-Literacy-Instruction/Barone-Mallette/9781462511563).

Other resources will be published in Google Classroom.

Topics Included in Course:

Influences on Literacy Development

Parent Involvement Supporting Early Literacy Achievement: Best Practices for Bridging the Home and School Environments

1. A Comprehensive Approach to Building Oral Language in Preschool: Prerequisites for Literacy
2. Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: Lessons Learned from Reading Recovery
3. Supporting Language and Literacy Development in Quality Preschools

Materials and Texts

1. Early Literacy Development in the Digital Age
2. What, When, and How Electronic Media Can Be Used in an Early Literacy Classroom
3. New Perspectives on Literature for Young Children
4. Read All About I.T.! Informational Text in the Early Childhood Classroom

Reconceptualizing Developmentally Appropriate Practice

9. Phonological Awareness and Alphabet Knowledge: The Foundations of Early Reading
10. Reading to Learn from the Beginning: Comprehension Instruction in the Primary Grades
11. Best Practices in Oral Vocabulary Instruction
12. Real Books, Real Reading: Effective Fluency Instruction for Striving Readers
13. Best Practices in Early Writing Instruction
14. Strengthening Play in Early Literacy Teaching Practice
15. Intervention and Assessment
16. “How Am I Doing?”: Students’ Perceptions of Literacy and Themselves
17. The Interactive Strategies Approach to Early Literacy Intervention
18. An Evidence-Based Approach to Response to Intervention

To register, please select “Registration Form” in the top bar.