Reading Education
Degrees and Certificates Offered
- EdM, CAGS Programs
- EdD Program: Developmental Studies
- (Literacy & Language Education specialization)
Undergraduate courses in reading education focus on understanding research and theory related to literacy acquisition and development, implementing research-based assessment and instruction strategies, and developing and selecting effective curricular materials. Three required courses combine to address these areas of knowledge: SED LR 501 (Teaching of Reading), SED LR 503 (Reading and Writing Assessment), and SED CH 300 (Methods of Instruction: Elementary). In addition, upper-level undergraduate students may elect graduate-level courses with the approval of their advisors and the Reading Education Program faculty.
Courses Open to Undergraduates
- SED LR 501 Teaching of Reading
- SED LR 503 Reading and Writing Assessment
- SED LR 732 Teaching Reading in Elementary and Middle Schools
Reading Education
The Reading Education Program prepares teachers, specialists, clinicians, and consultants in the area of reading and writing assessment and instruction. Because many of our students are in-service teachers, we strive to accommodate everyone by offering late afternoon and evening classes during the academic year and field experiences during both the academic year and the summer months.
Through the Reading Education Program, students may earn either a Master of Education or a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study. Each of these programs is approved for licensure as a Specialist Teacher of Reading in Massachusetts. Most of the students who enroll in the Reading Education Program are interested in school- or classroom-based practice and research in public settings; students must enter the program with a teaching license; many also have one or more years of experience teaching at the elementary or secondary level.
Coursework includes the study of current research and practice in acquisition and development of reading and writing, classroom and clinical assessment of reading and writing, and analysis of commonly used assessments and instructional materials. Particular attention is paid to instructional practices that accelerate learning for struggling readers and writers. Students are also required to complete two field experiences. During a prepracticum, students work with a credentialed literacy specialist to learn about the roles and responsibilities of the reading professional in a typical school or clinical setting. During a practicum, students work under the supervision of a University faculty member and an experienced literacy specialist to put into practice their understandings of research-based assessment and instruction as they teach an individual child and children in a small-group context in ways that will accelerate reading and writing growth. For full-time students the Reading Education program requires three semesters of study: Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Varied career opportunities await degree recipients. Many graduates seek positions as general education classroom teachers, where their expertise in reading and writing assessment and instruction enables them to provide exemplary instruction to students of all performance levels. Others use their newly acquired depth of knowledge to specialize in literacy assessment and instruction. In this case, degree recipients meet requirements for positions as reading and literacy teachers, specialists, and coaches.
Donald D. Durrell Reading & Writing Clinic
The Reading & Writing Clinic (RWC) provides diagnostic assessment and instructional services for elementary, middle, or secondary students who are experiencing difficulty in learning to read and write. Clinicians are in-service teachers or graduate students who work under the close supervision of Boston University faculty and school-based literacy specialists. In addition, the RWC serves as a model classroom where those studying to become classroom teachers and reading teachers can observe exemplary instruction in action.
