Reading and Literacy (Graduate Certificate)
Download our program flyer.
The Program
The Certificate Program in Reading/Literacy is designed for practicing professionals. The program focuses on the development of professionally committed practitioners so that they can reflect on and apply the current state of knowledge and competencies necessary for them to function effectively in reading/literacy instruction.
The Program is designed to share basic best practices in reading and literacy across educational communities. It prepares educational professionals to be more effective in meeting the literacy needs of their students. The Certificate Program:
1) informs classroom teachers and other educational professionals about the current state of knowledge regarding scientifically based reading and literacy practices;
2) bridges the gap between theory, research, and practice so that graduates of the Program are able to apply new knowledge and skill to the reading/literacy problems confronting educators working across many diverse settings;
3) provides content knowledge about instructional scaffolding in the development of reading/literacy methods to teach students from culturally diverse and at-risk environments;
4) assist classroom teachers and other educational professionals in finding effective and positive uses for literacy practices that sometimes impede access to reading/literacy practices valued in schools; and
5) encourage collaborative relationships across literacy communities within schools and within and across communities at large.
The five essential components of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) are core to the program. These core components are considered in the context of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, cultural practices, and other critical variables.
Program Implications and Outcomes
This program would meet the requirements for states that authorize initial certification or recertification in Reading and, if a candidate has three years of successful teaching experience in which the teaching of reading was an important responsibility, could apply these courses to a master's degree and a reading specialist credential (a master’s degree is required in Maryland, DC and Virginia for the issuing of a reading specialist credential).
Who Should Apply?
Courses in the Certificate Program are especially designed to be responsive to professionals who work with reading/literacy instruction across several disciplinary areas: classroom teachers (K-6); secondary content teachers; librarians; speech pathologist; curriculum designers; and reading/ literacy instructors in nonprofit organization (i.e., USAID, RTI, World Bank, etc.). Central to the development of professionals who work effectively in suburban, urban, rural, and developing communities are the refinement and conveyance of competencies in the areas of reading/literacy instruction in these diverse settings, community and family literacies, and the impact of social and economic factors on reading and literacy development. Professionals across these disciplines have a concentration of courses that extend their knowledge and skills in reading/literacy, as well as application of effective strategies for classroom instruction.
Admission
Admission to the certificate program requires the following:
- A university application (see below)
- Official transcripts
- A statement of purpose
- Two letters of reference
- Full teacher certification (a provisional license is not acceptable)
Admission to the master’s degree program in Curriculum and Instruction requires a recent (last five years) standardized test score (either the Graduate Record Exam or the Miller Analogies Test) in addition to the requirements mentioned above. Candidates who already possess a master's degree can request that the standardized test requirement be waived. For more information, visit GSEHD's Admissions page.
Contact Information
Dr. Jacqueline Comas, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy
Coordinator of Literacy Education
Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, GSEHD
(202) 994-6821
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
