Literacy Concentration Information

The goal of the Literacy concentration is to help educators better meet the reading/language arts needs of today’s diverse students while simultaneously becoming leaders in their schools, districts, and beyond. Courses in literacy development, instruction, assessment, and intervention, as well as a job-embedded practicum and leadership experiences, provide the foundation that allows teachers to grow into roles such as reading/English language arts specialists and teacher-leaders, literacy coaches, and/or reading interventionists.

Required Courses for the M.Ed. Literacy Concentration (without additional endorsement):

• GED 534 - Literacy Assessment and Instruction Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 558 - Educator as Researcher Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 606 - Literacy Development and Instruction Pre-K-Grade 8 Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 699 - Capstone Seminar in Graduate Education Credits: 3 cr.

Select at least one of the following courses in literature for children and young adults:

• GED 517 - Teaching Nonfiction in the Elementary Grades Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 535 - Children’s Literature: Author and Illustrator Study Credits: 3 cr.

Select at least one of the following courses in specialized instruction for readers who struggle:

• GED 607 - Literacy Instruction for Struggling Adolescent Readers: Intervention and Instruction Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 640 - Language and Learning Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 643 - Instruction of K-6 Students with Learning Challenges in Language Arts Credits: 3 cr.

Select at least one of the following courses in writing or book arts:

• GED 525 - Finding Your Writing Voice Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 533 - Creating the Picture Book Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 595 - Launching and Developing a Writers’ Workshop in the Elementary Grades Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 671 - The Art of Bookmaking: Craft, Structure and Creativity Credits: 3 cr.

The following courses are popular electives for students in Literacy concentration:

Students will select and additional six credits in Literacy Electives in consultation with their advisor and an additional nine credits in General Electives to complete their master’s in education with a concentration in literacy.

• GED 510 - Becoming a Literacy Leader: Tools and Strategies for Success Credits: 3
• GED 522 - Teaching Literacy in the Elementary Classroom Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 530 - Literacy in the Middle and Secondary Schools Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 578 - Visual Learning: Words into Pictures Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 580 - Approaches to Teaching the Humanities Credits: 2 cr.
• GED 667 - Words Come Alive!: Drama in the Classroom Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 669 - Storytelling, Poetry-Reciting, and Reader’s Theater Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 670 - Bringing Language Arts and Social Studies to Life with the Arts Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 678 - Heroes, the Arts, and Social Justice: Aesthetic Perspectives Credits: 3 cr.
• GED 693 - Integrating Art, Social Studies and Language Arts: K-8 Credits: 3 cr.