Online Master’s Degree in Literacy With a Writing Concentration

This course is designed to impart a thorough understanding of the Virginia English Standards of Learning as well as the reciprocal nature of reading and writing. Reading instruction includes phonemic awareness, concept of print, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development and comprehension strategies. Writing instruction includes writing strategies and conventions that support the composing/writing expression and usage/mechanics domains. This course includes proficiency in understanding the stages of spelling development, the writing process and fostering appreciation of a variety of fiction, non-fiction text and independent reading.

This course assists instructors in learning research-based strategies and best practices for using writing as a valuable instructional and assessment tool across the curriculum. As teacher-writers, participants will work on their own writing in mentorship sessions instructed by Shenandoah Valley Writing Project (SVWP) Teacher Consultants. Participants should be practicing teachers.

This course includes a study of the teaching and learning strategies necessary for developing basic literacy skills in the content areas. Teacher candidates will focus on assessing and improving PreK-12 student achievement in content disciplines by implementing effective, research-based practices for teaching reading and writing. In practica, teacher candidates will tutor children struggling with literacy.

Participants will follow National Writing Project (NWP) protocols as they learn to examine, implement and reflect on best practices as writing coaches. In both field and class settings, participants will demonstrate research-based best practices in evaluating writing to increase student skills and achievement.

Course description currently under development.

This course brings together up to 25 distinguished local teachers from public and private schools, K-University levels, who have been invited by their institutions to participate in this four-week intensive summer experience to become Shenandoah Valley Writing Project (SVWP) Teacher Consultants. Students will examine issues in the teaching of writing; compare theories and research studies in the field; compose analytical and persuasive papers; and design, develop and present lessons demonstrating best practices. Participants are required to provide in-service workshops to their individual institutions for course completion. Course participation is by invitation only.