Expanding Content Literacy

Remember The Three R’s— Reading, 'Riting' and 'Rithmetic'? The enduring paradigm for generations of school children. These basic skills -- these building blocks, if you would -- are timeless, treasured skills. This course focuses on the ‘Reading and wRiting’ – the Literacy component to the three R’s.

What is literacy exactly? Once upon a time, the definition was the ability to read and to write. But, today, it is so much more ... it’s being able to make sense of what you read and being able to engage in advanced reading (such as those found in content-area reading), writing, speaking, and listening. Notice, ‘listening’ is last, not because of importance, but to make a point: Students listen plenty in school, but are the other three communication skills equally significant?

This course will equip teachers with the background knowledge and tools to lay a solid foundation for PK-8th grade students, developing in them the skills they need to be successful with informational/content-area text. By investigating and utilizing research-based and classroom proven strategies, course-learners will have the opportunity to design activities and lessons that include creating the framework for reading, keying into vocabulary, setting the framework for writing, developing comprehension, and researching writing that promotes content literacy in the classroom and providing instruction that braids literacy processes with the curriculum.

NOTE: Required books must be purchased separately.

This course is applicable towards the English Language Arts Teaching Certificate.