Master of Education

Master of Education Reading Concentration

The M.Ed. Reading concentration is designed for certified teachers who want to develop advanced skills in literacy teaching, and earn their State of Florida reading specialist certification and reading endorsement. You’ll learn how to implement an integrated language arts program, assess literacy levels and apply current research and instructional approaches to improve students’ reading and writing skills. Why choose a master's degree in Reading at Saint Leo? In the 36 credit-hour M.Ed. Reading program, you will hone your teaching skills in reading instruction through studying: Curriculum development theory, research and policy Instructional and assessment strategies Integration of reading and writing Reading theory and recommended practice in K-12 educational environments Applied linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and second language acquisition Assessment measures to determine students' literacy levels in elementary and secondary schools Diagnosing, prescribing and implementing reading plans for improvement Educational research in policymaking Saint Leo has built a solid reputation in the educational community for our quality programs that produce tomorrow's leaders in the classroom. In 2011, Saint Leo’s Education department was named a national finalist for the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award. Our instructors are current practitioners in the field of school administration and regular presenters at national and international conferences. Saint Leo University also offers an 18-credit hour Graduate Certificate in Reading aligned with the State of Florida’s expectations for the Reading Endorsement. M.Ed. concentrations are also available in Educational Leadership, Instructional Leadership and Exceptional Student Education. Flexibility for the working professional Wherever you are on your journey, Saint Leo will meet you there. The M.Ed. Reading can be taken as a blended program combining traditional, in-person classes with a variety of delivery formats—most classes meet on Saturdays, and some coursework is available online. The program takes most students 24 months to complete. Contact your Graduate Admissions Counselor for more information on fitting a Master of Education into your life. Professional development opportunities Florida Certification: Earn your State of Florida K-12 reading certification and reading endorsement. Field experience: In a supervised practicum, work with K-12 students in a classroom setting—diagnosing, prescribing, and implementing a reading plan for improvement. 21st century classroom: Discover how to enhance learning with technologies such as iPads, the MimioVote™ assessment system and interactive SMART Boards. Co-curricular activities: Participate in the Future Teachers Association and join Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society for Educators. What can you do with a M.Ed. Reading? Literacy Coach Reading Supervisor K-12 Teacher Department Chair Assessment Coordinator GED Instructor Where are Saint Leo Education grads now? Our students find success as certified teachers, principals and administrators in school districts around Florida and outside of the state, thanks to interstate agreements the Florida Department of Education negotiates. The majority teach in Florida school districts, including Pasco, Hillsborough and Putnam. Saint Leo graduates often assume leadership positions in their schools—as team leaders and department chairs—within three to four years of employment. Graduates consistently receive "Teacher of the Year" and "Administrator of the Year" awards in their districts. Admission requirements A special tuition discount is available for M.Ed students. Contact Graduate Admissions for details. Take the next step in your career. Apply for Saint Leo's M.Ed. Reading today.

Curriculum The courses in this concentration have been designed to align with the State of Florida course requirements for reading specialist certification. Additionally, courses for the reading endorsement are included within this program. Course Course Name Credits EDU 546 Reading in the Content Areas 3 Students will examine current research and instructional approaches that focus on improving 5-9 student reading skills. This course is designed to address comprehension issues in the content area classrooms. Students will learn to develop an understanding of the challenges 5-9 students face while reading, how to identify reading demands in content areas, and how to develop lessons to include reading skills in the content area classroom. Field experience is required. EDU 562 ESOL 1: Applied Linguistics 3 This course is designed to provide pre-service teachers at the graduate level a knowledge base in applied linguistics, a broad understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the field of second language acquisition, and familiarity with issues in cross-cultural communication, language instruction, and assessment in order to meet the educational, linguistic, and cultural needs of English language learners (ELLs) as is mandated by the ESOL Consent Decree in the State of Florida. The course will address theoretical constructs of the field as well as exemplify research-based practical applications in the classroom for meeting the academic and communication needs of ELLs. Field experience is required. Prerequisites: 9 graduate credits or the permission of the Director EDU 602 Foundations in Reading 3 This course provides the education major with the investigation of basic theories underlying traditional and recent approaches to the teaching of reading. It includes the study of the five essential components of the reading process: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension. This course also provides the opportunity to interpret informal reading inventories and other diagnostic measures used for assessing the major elements of reading growth of the five essential components of reading. Field experience is required. EDU 605 Elementary Reading Assessment and Intervention 3 This course focuses on providing teachers with formal and informal assessment measures to use to determine students’ literacy levels in the elementary school. This course also presents the students with knowledge and use of effective scientifically based intervention strategies. Field experience is required. EDU 610 Secondary Literacy, Assessment and Intervention 3 This course focuses on providing teachers with formal and informal assessment measures to use to determine students’ literacy levels in the secondary school. This course also provides the students with the knowledge and use of effective scientifically based intervention strategies. Field experience is required. EDU 623 Psychology of Reading 3 The course will examine the movement from traditional views of reading based on behaviorism to an understanding of reading and readers based on cognitive psychology. The course will also cover various models of reading and literacy development as well as theories underlying approaches to specific reading difficulties. Prerequisites: EDU 546 , EDU 602 , EDU 605 , and EDU 610 or permission of the Director. EDU 627 Literature for Children and Adolescents 3 This course will provide an overview of children and adolescent literature for use in the K-12 reading program. Students will learn how to choose effective literature from various genres and formats, including the use of literature to address the issue of diversity in the K-12 classroom. Additionally, strategies for the effective use of the literature with various levels of readers will be presented and discussed. Field experience is required. EDU 629 Current Theory and Practice in Reading 3 This course will examine the current research in reading and its application to reading instruction and program development. The topics covered will include word recognition processes in reading, comprehension, learning to read, disorders of reading, brain and biological bases of research in reading. Prerequisites: EDU 546 , EDU 602 , EDU 605 , and EDU 610 or permission of the Director. EDU 632 Research Methods 3 The purpose and role of educational research in informing educational policy and decision making are studied. The research process, sampling strategies, and threats and controls to research design integrity are considered. Designs studied are non-experimental; pre-, true-,and quasi-experimental; single subject; and qualitative. EDU 645 Methods to Integrate Reading and Writing 3 This course presents theory and current best practices in teaching the integration of reading and writing. Students will learn how to implement an integrated language arts program by analyzing the various methods used to explicitly teach the essentials skills and concepts in the field of language arts. Field experience is required. Prerequisites: EDU 546 , EDU 602 , EDU 605 , and EDU 610 or permission of the Director. EDU 658 Leadership in the Development of Reading Programs 3 This course focuses on the planning and coordination of school-based/system-based reading programs from a leadership perspective. Students will design a sample program that could be implemented in a K-12 school setting. The role of the reading coach will also be discussed. Field experience is required. Prerequisites: EDU 602 , EDU 546 , EDU 605 , EDU 610 or permission of the Director. EDU 673 Supervised Practicum in Reading 3 This course requires the graduate student to work with several K-12 students in a classroom setting— diagnosing, prescribing, and implementing a reading plan for improvement. Students will apply “best practices” in reading instruction based upon concepts and research acquired in the prerequisite courses in the Reading Program. Field experience is required. Prerequisites: EDU 546 , EDU 602 , EDU 605 , and EDU 610 or permission of the Director. Total Credit Hours: 36

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