Study Format
- On Campus
- Online
Program Length
- 18 Credit Hours
- 18 Months (No summer courses)
Application Deadlines
Domestic Students
Spring 2025 Completed File Due | Classes Start Jan. 6, 2025
This program is based on the International Literacy Association (ILA) and the Illinois Reading standards and is designed to help prepare Illinois educators who want to specialize as a Reading Teacher.
Credentialing Requirements
Upon successful completion of the required courses and the Illinois #177 Reading Teacher Content Test, candidates are eligible for the Illinois Reading Teacher Subsequent Endorsement, enabling them to work as a reading teacher in early childhood, elementary, middle, and/or secondary Illinois school settings.
To be eligible for the Illinois Reading Teacher Subsequent Endorsement, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) prior to entering program
- Passage of the Illinois Reading Teacher Content Test (#177)
Program Information
This program will enable candidates to:
- Strengthen their foundational knowledge of reading and writing processes
- Apply varied instructional practices, methods and curriculum materials to literacy instruction
- Use assessment to plan and evaluate effective reading instruction
- Create literate environments that foster literacy instruction
- Recognize that students come first
- View professional development in reading as a career‐long effort
Program Information
Core Courses (18 hours)
Studies in Literacy and Multiliteracy (3 hours)
Examines the correlates of effective literacy instruction. Emphasis on application of current theory and research in literacy and multiliteracies as they apply to P-12 classrooms. Field experience hours: 1. Field setting: School, library or other location where a short lesson can be taught.
Content Reading: Middle and Secondary Schools (3 hours)
This graduate reading course emphasizes the development of competence as a literacy coach/leader in a middle or secondary setting. Integrity is fostered through attention to the diversity of learners in their various educational settings. Leadership and collaborative relationships are fostered through various experiences with middle and secondary content area teachers, cohort peers, and literacy professionals. Candidates are expected to participate in field experiences outside of course online or class hours, which include conducting interviews with teachers, teaching a lesson, and conferencing with teachers. Field Experience Hours: 5 hours. Field Setting: Candidate arranged work with middle/secondary teacher required.
Assessment of Reading with Remedial Materials and Resources (6 hours)
This is a graduate-level course series which explores the causes and types of reading difficulties, procedures for assessing the struggling reader, and experiences in administering and interpreting standardized and informal tests. The course also attends to current research relating to common reading problems and their correction. Field Experience Hours: 15 hours. Field Setting: Public educational setting and work with primary and intermediate/upper students required.
Reading Practicum Using Developmental Instruction and Support (6 hours)
This course emphasizes the application of assessment and remedial techniques in a supervised, clinical situation for K‐12 levels. It is the culminating experience for implementing data‐driven instruction and the reporting of student progress. The MA-Reading Program capstone is embedded in this course. Field Experience: 20 hours. Field Setting: Candidate‐arranged or course‐embedded work with elementary and intermediate/secondary students. Prerequisite: B or higher in EDU-6234 or permission of department chair.
Capstone Experience
Embedded in clinical experience.
Admission Counselor
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