Literacy Education: Birth - Grade 12

Jennifer Kagan, Program Coordinator

207 Wilber Hall

jennifer.kagan@oswego.edu

315-312-2662

 

Admission Information

Program Information

Curriculum and Instruction Department

 

 

Introduction

The Master’s in Literacy Education Birth-Grade 12 is a 30-credit hour program designed for educators seeking productive, inspired careers as literacy teachers and professionals who are committed to meeting the needs of diverse learners. In this program, you will learn how to create meaningful, culturally relevant literacy experiences for all students, and especially those who need explicit teaching and support strategies to become effective literacy learners.

The Master’s in Literacy Birth through Grade 12 program focuses on the roles of leadership and collaboration, both in schools and in surrounding communities. To this end, candidates engage in rich and extensive clinical experiences with children/young adults from all levels of public schooling, with other school professionals, and with parents/caregivers. The MSED Literacy Education Birth-Grade 12 certification level allows for a breadth and depth of knowledge, providing candidates with the necessary knowledge base and skill and an expanded range of professional opportunities.

Curriculum

The MSED Literacy Education Birth-Grade 12 program embraces the fundamental belief that social justice is served only when all children are successful readers and writers, that educators must serve as advocates for ongoing instruction in literacy to help children reach their potential, and that instruction must include use of authentic texts and experiences that help learners make powerful connections between texts and their own lives. The program supports a strategic approach to both reading and writing in which learners become self-aware of these literacy processes and are able to claim control of their own reading and writing skills.

The sequence of courses provides candidates with a deep understanding of the content base of literacy, the process of reading, and the appropriate implementation of effective instructional strategies. The program includes 100 hours of clinical teaching experience in urban, suburban, and rural schools, under collaborative supervision of college personnel and classroom-based practitioners, allowing candidates to develop proficiency in planning, assessment, diagnosis and explicit instruction. The program provides an opportunity to work with diverse students and practice the implementation of evidence-based strategies gained in the sequence of courses.