Literacy Lessons Teacher Program

Training for Literacy Lessons Program

Literacy Lessons Teachers train with a Teacher Leader and work individually with students in Special Education and English Language Learner programs. Literacy Lessons is based on the same theoretical work as Reading Recovery, but expands services to a wider range of students. It is designed to help readers and writers develop early literacy processing systems. Classes held off campus. Learn more in our Literacy Lessons brochure. 

Course Descriptions and Schedule – 8 units

Fall Semester – 5 units

EDUC 351: Literacy Lessons Assessment – 2 units

This course is offered in the late summer prior to the opening of school. It is taught by Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders who hold a Master’s Degree and have successfully completed 12-16 units of Graduate Level post Master’s coursework at Saint Mary’s College, and who are employed by local school districts as credentialed teachers. The purposes of this course are to enable prospective Literacy Lessons Specialist Teachers to: administer, score and interpret running records of text reading; administer, score and interpret other assessment tasks of early literacy acquisition; develop skill in summarizing results of early literacy assessment tasks; construct an assessment kit of materials for observing children's literacy development; and acquire observational competency in determining children's strengths related to early literacy acquisition for special populations in grades 1-4.

Graduate level course. Prerequisite: Acceptance into training in Literacy Lessons at selected school districts throughout California and other western states affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College. This course is taught off campus at selected school districts by trained Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College.

EDUC 352: Literacy Lessons Procedures – 3 units

The purposes of this outcomes-based course are to enable prospective Literacy Lessons Specialist teachers to: develop skill in the teaching of children identified for Literacy Lessons intervention; acquire observational expertise for determining children’s on-going literacy development; maintain and utilize records of student progress to inform instruction; demonstrate teaching children for peer observations and critique; and develop reflection of teaching through self-analysis of teaching. In addition, teachers will be able to: understand the theoretical base for the Reading Recovery/Literacy Lessons program as designed by Dr. Marie Clay; develop their own theoretical understandings of literacy, of the reading/writing processes, and learning in general; compare and contrast theoretical positions regarding learning and literacy for special populations in grades 1-4.

Graduate level course. Prerequisite: Acceptance into training in Literacy Lessons at selected school districts throughout California and other western states affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College; successful completion of EDUC 351. This course is taught off campus at selected school districts by trained Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College.

Fall Semester – 3 units

EDUC 353: Advanced Literacy Lessons Procedures – 3 units

The purposes of this outcomes-based course are to enable prospective Literacy Lessons Specialist Teachers to: develop skill in the teaching of children identified for Literacy Lessons intervention; acquire observational expertise for determining children's ongoing literacy development; examine effectiveness of teaching decisions made during lessons in light of known theory, clinical experiences and actual practice; engage in self-evaluation and reflection of theory and practice leading to ongoing professional growth and effective teaching; understand the theoretical base for the Reading Recovery/Literacy Lessons program as designed by Dr. Marie Clay; develop theoretical understandings of literacy, of the reading/writing processes, and learning in general; and examine current research using a theoretical framework. This is a continuation of the first semester of work through which several themes are being explored for special populations in grades 1-4.

Graduate level course. Prerequisite: Acceptance into training in Literacy Lessons at selected school districts throughout California and other western states affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College; successful completion of EDUC 351 and 352. This course is taught off campus at selected school districts by trained Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders affiliated with the Reading Recovery Training Center at Saint Mary’s College.