The 'Science of Reading' is a large and growing body of research that provides guidance and insight into how students learn to read. Building primarily from the National Reading Panel's (2000) identification of the 'big five' components of reading instruction: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The subsequent research continues to reaffirm the importance of systematic and intentional instruction in these areas. This course will connect these components to the reading standards for foundational skills of the California Common Core State Standards. This course is designed to build your knowledge of these areas of reading instruction, examine ways in which to build on your current pedagogical practices and curricular decisions, and identify student needs to develop intentional instruction to meet the reading needs of all students. It is designed as a cycle of learning in which you will plan with your peers, apply and reflect on learning. The course culminates in focusing on and developing the ability to diagnose and identify specific skill gaps in students' reading skills and the knowledge for how to directly address those needs. This course will reaffirm many of your pedagogical practices, provide new learning to build on and expand and/or shift current practices in reading instruction, and provide knowledge and skills to overcome challenges faced in building literacy in all kids.
For course related questions, please contact Kathy Niino.