Master of Arts in literacy Education: 33 credit hours
Ten required courses and one elective course. Scroll down for program benchmarks.
Please note: Teachers who wish to be entitled in Illinois as K-12 Reading Specialists or Literacy Coaches are required to complete the Master of Arts Degree in Literacy Education. This program is designed to provide specialized training in assessment and intervention for students who struggle with reading and writing and to foster informed leadership in literacy instructional planning, curriculum development, and professional support.
Benchmark one courses
LTCY 501 Literacy Instruction in Elementary Grades: Designed to help candidates understand the components that comprise a balanced, comprehensive approach to the development of literacy. Includes reading acquisition and early literacy as well as the continued development of literacy learning in a diverse society through the elementary grades. Addresses advanced methods and the use of materials, including traditional print and digital media.
LTCY 502 Literacy Instruction in Content Areas in Middle and High Schools: Designed to help candidates understand the components of advanced literacy development. Emphasizes instructional approaches to foster literacy development in middle and high school levels in a diverse society, with a focus on literacy in the content areas. Includes advanced methods and the use of materials from traditional print as well as digital media. Addresses the development of specialized vocabulary needed in content areas.
LTCY 504 Literature for Instruction in a Diverse Society: Designed to provide candidates with instructional approaches to use authentic literature as the foundation for literacy instruction. Addresses the use of multicultural literature to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
LTCY 505 Writing Instruction in Elementary Schools: Designed to provide candidates with instructional approaches to integrate reading and writing instruction effectively in Kindergarten through grade 5.
OR
LTCY 506 Writing Instruction in Content Areas in Middle and High Schools: Designed to provide candidates with instructional approaches to integrate reading and writing instruction effectively in middle and secondary-level classrooms.
Benchmark Two Courses
LTCY 503 Theoretical Foundations of Literacy Education: Designed to guide candidates in an exploration of the historically shared knowledge of the literacy education profession and changes over time in the perceptions of reading and writing development, processes, and components. Candidates develop an understanding of major theories and empirical research that describe the cognitive, linguistic, motivational, and sociocultural foundations of reading and writing development, processes, and components.
LTCY 507 Literacy Assessment and Instructional Planning: Designed to guide candidates in the analysis and evaluation of assessment instruments used in assessing literacy. Includes the use of assessment for multiple purposes, particularly in using results to plan instruction for diverse groups of students. Emphasizes the use of assessment to diagnose the needs of students struggling in reading and writing and planning for interventional instruction.
CaPstone courses
LTCY 508 Practicum in Literacy Assessment and Intervention-Elementary Level: Designed to provide supervised clinical experience in assessing the literacy needs of students in grades K-5 who are struggling in reading and writing. Includes the development and implementation of plans for intervention as well as progress monitoring. Candidates work with individual students as well as collaboratively with small groups of students. Candidates also engage in collegial coaching. Includes a reflective seminar
LTCY 510 Practicum in Literacy Assessment and Intervention-Secondary Level: Designed to provide supervised clinical experience in assessing the literacy needs of students in grades 6-12 who are struggling in reading and writing. Includes the development and implementation of plans for intervention as well as progress monitoring. Candidates work with individual students as well as collaboratively with small groups of students. Candidates also engage in collegial coaching. Includes a reflective seminar.
LTCY 511 Research Seminar in Literacy: Designed to guide candidates through the collection and multi-phase analysis of assessment data to examine the effectiveness of specific, evidence-based intervention practices designed to meet the literacy needs of diverse student populations through the students’ responses to instruction.
LTCY 512 Leadership in Literacy Instruction: Designed to support candidates in design, facilitation, leadership, and evaluation of effective and differentiated literacy curricula and literate environments for diverse students, teachers, and schools, as well as professional development programs grounded in foundational knowledge of adult learning theories and related research about organizational change, professional development, and school culture.
Candidates select one Elective
LTCY 513 Literacy Instruction in Middle Grades: Designed to address the components of advanced literacy development, with a focus on the specific needs of early adolescents. Emphasizes instructional approaches to foster literacy development in middle school levels in a diverse society, with a focus on literacy in the content areas. Advanced methods and the use of materials from traditional print as well as digital media. Includes the development of specialized vocabulary needed in content areas.
LTCY 514 Literacy Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: Designed to develop coaching and leadership strategies to support teachers in providing effective differentiated instruction and instructional materials, including traditional print, digital, and online resources that capitalize on diversity. Includes techniques for engaging the school community in conversations about research on diversity and how diversity impacts reading and writing development.
LTCY 515 Technology Integration in Literacy Instruction: Designed to guide participants in an in-depth analysis of the integration of technology and digital media with literacy instruction. Includes software selection, evaluation and usage for components of a balanced approach to literacy instruction in a diverse society. Addresses assistive technology, as well as the use of technology for literacy assessment.
LTCY 516, Advanced Practicum in Literacy Instruction: Provides in a clinical and/or on-site setting, opportunities to explore innovative diagnostic and instructional practices. In-depth study of particular reading problems as well as overall reading program development is encouraged. (Offered by invitation only)
Candidates may elect to take the alternate writing course as their elective or any other 500 level Literacy Ed course. LTCY 516, Advanced Practicum in Literacy Education, is offered by invitation only.
program BENCHMARK requirements
Benchmark One
- Complete initial courses LTCY 501,502,504, and 505 or 506.
- Complete self-evaluation of Professional Dispositions.
Benchmark Two
- Submit informational application for LTCY 507
- Cumulative minimum grade point average of 3.0 (no course lower than "C")
Benchmark Three: Capstone Courses
- Cumulative minimum grade point average of 3.0 (no course lower than "C")
- Completion of LTCY 503 and LTCY 507
Benchmark Four: Exit Requirements
- Notify Program Coordinator of your intent to graduate.
- Submission of graduation application to College of Graduate Studies and Research
- Cumulative minimum grade point average of 3.0 (no course lower than a 2.0 is accepted)
- Completion of Program Survey
Please note: To be entitled by the state as a Reading Specialist, you must pass the Illinois Reading Specialist test and submit scores to the Literacy Education Program.
