Certificate Program in Literacy Instruction and Intervention

Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development’s Certificate in Literacy Instruction and Intervention is open to classroom teachers, literacy leaders, and administrators from any community or school district.  The Certificate program focuses on leadership in literacy instruction for educators working with students in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Taken as a whole, the Certificate represents the cornerstones of literacy instruction. Four courses comprise the Certificate, and collectively they examine effective practices in reading and writing, including literacy in the disciplines, successful approaches to literacy assessment, intervention strategies, and designs for differentiating instruction that address the needs of all learners.

Courses examine effective institutional practices in reading and writing, including those related to disciplinary literacies, literacy assessment, literacy intervention, children’s and young adult literature, adolescent literacy, and classroom discourse, among others. This Certificate will provide the theoretical, empirical, and practical knowledge necessary for school leaders, classroom teachers, and other educators to develop and implement literacy programs and practices that support meaningful reading and writing experiences for students as the proceed through elementary, middle, and high school.

LS 727 Topical Seminar in Literacy
Explore contemporary aspects of research, theory, and practice in literacy and language.

LS 790 Literacy Assessment to Inform Instruction
Investigate the theoretical underpinnings of literacy assessments as well as ways to use assessments to identify learners’ strengths and needs.

LS 762 Literacy Acquisition and Development: Addressing Strengths and Needs
Explore theory and research regarding individual readers’ and writers’ strengths and needs as they acquire and develop literacy processes and practices. This course emphasizes literacy instruction and intervention practices, particularly for individuals who experience difficulty with reading and writing in some contexts.

LS 627 Introduction to Critical Analysis of Children’s and YA Literature
Survey the landscape of current children’s and YA literature in order to better understand and utilize the great literature available today.

Certificate Credits and Cost

Certificate in Literacy Intervention

Awarded upon successful completion of 16 credits.

Credit towards Master of Education Degree or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study:  Students who apply and are accepted to a Literacy or Reading Education program in BU Wheelock leading to a Master of Education Degree or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study may apply the 16 credits taken in the Certificate Program to their degree requirements.

For more information, please contact Dr. Kate Frankel at kfrankel@bu.edu.

Please note: With sufficient numbers of interested participants, school districts can arrange to offer this Certificate on-site and at a reduced tuition rate.  Please contact Dr. Kate Frankel for more information.