Department of Literacy and Learning
Website: https://twu.edu/literacy-and-learning/
Interim Chair: Sharla Snider, Professor
Location: MCL 901-C
Phone: 940-898-2684
Fax: 940-898-2224
E-mail: litlearn@twu.edu
Graduate Degrees Offered
The principal objectives of the department are to provide professional development for teachers and educators and opportunities for advanced graduate training in literacy and early childhood education. At the doctoral level, the department provides specialized study in both literacy from early childhood through adult years and early childhood education, each with an emphasis on the study and practice of research in selected areas. A major goal of all graduate programs is to develop leadership potential and skills for graduates of these programs and to encourage effective teaching practices in all areas of public schools and at the college level. At all levels of study, the interrelationships of theory and practice are valued, as students are led to develop theory and new knowledge leading to the integration of research and practice. The department also offers services to teachers, schools, parents, and the community in the form of courses, programs of study, and expert consultation on teaching and learning.
Master’s courses taken at the post-baccalaureate level to satisfy the professional development requirements leading to initial teacher certification (excluding student teaching) may be applied to a master’s degree in the department, subject to department approval. Professional-level certification and endorsements may be coordinated with most master’s and doctoral degree plans in the department, depending on advisory committee approval.
Master's Degree Programs
- M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education - The Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education provides professional development for early childhood teachers and prepares students for advanced careers in various educational settings. The program is offered up to 100% online.
- M.Ed. in Literacy Education - The Master of Education degree in Literacy Education prepares teachers to be literacy leaders in their schools. The degree may lead to certification as an All-level Reading Specialist. Students seeking the M.Ed. degree complete a Digital Professional Portfolio. The M.Ed. is a hybrid program.
- M.A. in Reading Education - The Master of Arts degree in Reading Education prepares teachers to be literacy leaders in their schools. This degree may lead to certification as an All-level Reading Specialist. The M.A. is identical to the M.Ed. except it provides a thesis option that can prepare students for further work in a doctoral program.
- M.A. in Multilingual and Multicultural Studies - The Master of Arts degree in Multilingual and Multicultural Studies prepares educators and other professionals to work with multilingual populations across a variety of settings.
Doctoral Degree Programs
- Ph.D. in Child Development and Early Education - The doctoral program in Child Development and Early Education prepares students for advanced career options in child care administration, child and family advocacy, public policy, research, and higher education. Offered together with the Department of Human Development, Family Studies, and Counseling.
- Ph.D. in Literacy, Language, and Culture - The doctoral program in Literacy, Language, and Culture prepares educators and researchers for specialized work in literacy in diverse social contexts at all levels of education and outside of schools.
All-Level (K-12) Reading Specialist Certification
Master's degree coursework in Literacy Education can lead to certification as an All-Level (K-12) Reading Specialist. This certificate requires previous teaching certification and, at the time of completion, a master’s degree and two years of classroom teaching experience. In addition, students must successfully complete the appropriate certification exam and related TEA requirements. This certification is awarded by the State Board for Educator Certification.
Minors
Minors are available in many areas for master and doctoral students. Contact department for details.
Faculty
Courses
Contact hours identified in the course descriptions are based on a 15-week term. Students who enroll in Summer or mini-terms are expected to meet the same total number of contact hours as a 15-week term.
ECE 5203. Language and Literacy in Early Childhood. In-depth study of language and literacy for ages birth through eight, including strategies for promoting early literacy development at home and at school. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5213. Curriculum Development in Early Childhood. In-depth study of basic principles underlying curriculum construction and innovative instructional practices for ages birth to eight; emphasis on research related to organization and sequential arrangement of materials. Observations/Field Experience: Fifteen clock hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5263. Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood. Designed to provide a comprehensive knowledge base concerning assessment of young children. Areas of emphasis include development of skills in selection; use and interpretation of developmentally appropriate formal, informal, and holistic instruments and procedures; measurement terms and principles; procedures and legal requirements for record keeping; use of technology in assessment; and managing an assessment team. Observation/Field experience: Fifteen clock hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5283. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education. Examination of research, techniques, and strategies useful for teachers and parents in supporting young learners in the understanding of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) approaches to learning. Design and integration of the five curricular areas and the importance of home/school connections and policy from an ecological perspective. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5413. Leadership, Advocacy and Public Policy for Young Children. Review of research on early childhood education and public policy affecting families, content knowledge, developmentally appropriate practices, and child development. Focus on leadership, ethics, advocacy, and professionalism. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5433. Brain-Based Learning for the Young Child. Emerging research, theories of brain development, physiological and social effects on learning, metacognition, problem-solving, and neuroscientific patterns affecting learning such as motivation, rewards, attention, and memory incorporated into strategies to inform educational practices within school and home settings. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5583. Action Research in the Early Childhood Classroom. Practical approaches to research and evaluation theory and practice with a focus on schools and early childhood classrooms. Action research methodologies as a resource for classroom teachers to examine teaching in context and to better understand research-based strategies for improving teaching practices and learning. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5773. School, Family, and Cultural Diversity: Community Connections. Techniques and strategies for developing and implementing programs in early childhood settings including incorporation of community resources and partnerships. Investigation, critique, and reflection on how school, family, community and cultural diversity affect ethical decision-making by early childhood teachers. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5903. Special Topics. Organized study of Early Childhood subject matter normally not included in other ECE courses. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5911. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in early childhood. Credit: One hour.
ECE 5913. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in early childhood. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5931. Portfolio. Development and maintenance of a professional portfolio documenting the attainment of goals and skills acquired in the course of graduate study. Reviewed periodically with the advisor and presented to committee during last semester of the graduate program as the student's final examination. Credit: One hour.
ECE 5983. Thesis. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 5993. Thesis. Prerequisite: ECE 5983. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6513. Language and Cognitive Development in Young Children. Origins and development of language; cognition as a function of language, stages, and environment; interrelationships of language and cognitive development. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6593. Practicum in Early Childhood Education. Professional supervised experience in working directly with children, families, or consumers in selected business, institution, or agency appropriate for Early Childhood Education. Assignment based on student interests, skills, and degree program. Individual conferences and work hours to be arranged. Twelve practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6623. Social and Cultural Dimensions of Early Language Development. Analysis of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research in early childhood language development; determination of patterns of language use in early childhood classes focused on the understanding of the literacy processes embedded in social practices; methods for continuing language growth in the classroom based on the demonstrated processes of language development. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6653. Seminar in Developmental Theory. An analysis and integration of theories and research on early childhood development. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education. Historical, philosophical, sociological, physical, and psychological bases for understanding and implementing programs of early childhood education. Prerequisite: Six hours of child development or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6673. Advanced Seminar in Early Childhood Education. Analysis of current research, practices, and related theories in early childhood education. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6903. Special Topics. Organized study of Early Childhood subject matter normally not included in other ECE courses. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6911. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in early childhood. Credit: One hour.
ECE 6913. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in early childhood. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6921. Research in Early Childhood Education. Individual investigation of a specific area in early childhood. Credit: One hour.
ECE 6923. Research in Early Childhood Education. Individual investigation of a specific area in early childhood. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6983. Dissertation. Credit: Three hours.
ECE 6993. Dissertation. Prerequisite: ECE 6983. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5333. Curriculum for Bilingual Education: Methods and Materials. Curriculum organization of the elementary school with emphasis on background and objectives of educational programs in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies appropriate to the needs of children for whom English is a second language. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5413. Teaching Reading and Other Language Arts to Linguistically Different Learners. Principles and best practices in teaching English literacy skills to linguistically different learners in the elementary schools. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5633. Education in Culturally Diverse Environments. Analysis of theoretical foundations of contemporary multicultural education, review of its policies and practices, and exploration of multicultural concepts for achieving cultural pluralism. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5643. Sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics and its relationship with language and society. Theoretical approaches and frameworks including variational sociolinguistics, the ethnography of communication, and interactional sociolinguistics. Development of pidgins and creoles, multilingualism, globalization and language status, language choice, language and culture, raciolinguistics, and other topics. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5653. Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Practices. Mental processes involved in second-language acquisition and their pedagogical implications. Fundamentals of psycholinguistics and cross-cultural communication. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5903. Special Topics. Organized study of a topic in Bilingual or ESL education. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5911. Independent Study. Independent study of specific problems in Bilingual and ESL education. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Credit: One hour.
EDBE 5913. Independent Study. Individual study of specific problems in Bilingual and ESL education. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 5923. Practicum. Field experience in Bilingual or ESL education. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Credit: Three hours.
EDBE 6913. Independent Study. Individual study of specific problems in Bilingual and ESL education. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5213. Foundational Skills for the Teaching of Reading in the Early Grades. Introduction to the theory and practice of teaching early reading. Survey of key components of reading instruction in the areas of oral language; phonemic awareness; word study; and decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Prerequisite: Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5343. Bridging Multimodal Composing and Children's/Young Adult Literature. Writing theory, research, and pedagogy; children's/young adult literature for the classroom; connecting literature to multi-modal composing. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5423. Literacy: Practice to Theory. Theories, issues, and practices related to teaching literacy from early childhood through high school. Understanding and construction of literacy theories and processes in relation to practice; addressing the needs of all learners. Field experience required. This course is a prerequisite for all Literacy Education courses. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5443. Literacy: Assessment and Instruction. Instruction, analysis, and application of research based formal and informal literacy assessments; use of assessments to guide responsive instruction; ability to communicate outcomes and standards to various audiences. Field experience required. Prerequisite: READ 5423. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5453. Processes and Strategies for Comprehending Texts. Theories and practices related to literacy practices, processes, and strategies within and across a variety of print and non-print text modes and genres. Focus on providing optimal environments for comprehending and interpreting texts and on developing students' independent uses of strategies for engaging with texts. 8-10 hours of field experience required. Prerequisite: READ 5423. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5463. Practicum in Literacy: Analysis of Teaching and Mentoring. Clinical experiences in classrooms, small group, and individual instruction; diagnosis, analysis, and teaching utilizing assessment data and research based practices; application of mentoring and coaching strategies for collaborating with professional colleagues and parents. Field experience required. Prerequisites: READ 5423 and READ 5443. One lecture and five practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5473. Early Detection in Reading. Focus on the administration and interpretation of Marie Clay's Diagnostic Survey and intervention procedures that will support the at-risk beginning reader. In addition to observing children and teachers interacting behind a one-way glass, all enrolled in the course will work with four children while learning procedures. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Seven practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5483. Early Intervention in Reading. Focus on the refinement of procedures used with at-risk beginning readers. Attention will be directed to teacher decision-making while working with four children. All enrolled in the course will be involved in teaching and observing children behind a one-way glass. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Seven practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5493. Research in Literacy: Responsive Action in Schools. Critical reading, evaluation, and design of research in literacy; understanding of research trends in literacy; effective communication of research for decision-making in literacy at the program-level. Prerequisites: READ 5423, admission to graduate program, and completion of at least 15 graduate hours in reading. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5503. Phonological and Orthographic Language Systems in Literacy Learning. Focuses on language processes, including phonological and orthographic language systems related to literacy development. Research and theory related to letters, sounds and their relationship, word analysis, and spelling will be used to critique and evaluate reading programs and design customized assessment and instruction. Field experience required. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: READ 5423. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5513. Literacy and the Diverse Learner. Theories, issues, and practices of literacy instruction in various academic settings for EC-12 learners of diverse linguistic, cultural, economic, and academic backgrounds. Field experience required. Prerequisite: READ 5423. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5523. Literacy Leadership and Program Development. Improvement of literacy instruction; organization and implementation of literacy programs; literacy theories and research-based practices in the development and implementation of effective literacy programs; effective leadership practices for establishing collaboration, communication, and professional learning in the design, implementation, and evaluation of literacy programs. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5533. Foundations of Early Literacy. A course focusing on literacy teaching and learning in the early grades. Emphasis on reading, writing, and oral language. Attention to observation and assessment, appropriate selection, and use of books and materials. Organization and management, ways of teaching that support children in building strong processing systems in reading and writing, etc. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5543. Introduction to Literacy and Learning in the Disciplines. Rationale and principles for teaching reading and related communication skills in specific content-area subjects; emphasis on strategies for instruction in text comprehension, text production, and vocabulary development as it relates to disciplinary coursework. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5603. Intensive Teaching in Early Literacy Intervention. Intense and precise observation, analysis, and teaching of individual/diverse learners; change over time in individuals having extreme difficulty in literacy learning. Requires individual teaching of students identified for special education services and teaching children behind a one-way glass. Prerequisites: READ 5473 and READ 5483. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5901. Special Topics. Variable content. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.
READ 5903. Special Topics. Variable content. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5911. Independent Study. Individual study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.
READ 5913. Independent Study. Individual study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5923. Biliteracy and Multilingualism. Preparation of literacy educators in bilingual and English-medium classrooms to assess and instruct multilingual students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5963. Seminar in Literacy Research. Completion and presentation of research based professional portfolio; development of professional goals; development and implementation of professional research-based presentations. Prerequisite: Completion of all other master's coursework. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5973. Professional Paper. Students maintain continuous registration while actively working on master's paper. Credit limited to six hours total. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5981. The Professional Portfolio. Development of a professional portfolio by students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program demonstrating the student's growth in the Learner-Centered Competencies. Pass-fail grade only. May be repeated. Credit: One hour.
READ 5983. Thesis. Credit: Three hours.
READ 5993. Thesis. Prerequisite: READ 5983. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6473. Perspectives and Paradigms in Human Inquiry. Exploration of diverse perspectives and purposes of social science research. Study of competing definitions of research and their contributions to professional practice. Consideration of the underlying theoretical issues that inform the practice of research. Prerequisite: Doctoral standing or permission of instructor. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6483. Qualitative Research. Theories and methods of qualitative research conducted in social settings. Prerequisite: Doctoral status. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6493. Advanced Qualitative Research: Design and Analysis. Advanced methods of qualitative research design, collection, and analysis of data gathered in social settings. Prerequisite: Graduate introductory-level qualitative research course. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6511. Observing and Responding to Young Readers Practicum. Implementation of specific teaching procedures and assessment of the effectiveness of instructional decisions on accelerated literacy acquisition for young children. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Co-requisite: READ 6512. Ten practicum hours a week. Credit: One hour.
READ 6512. Observing and Responding to Young Readers. Focus on the administration and interpretation of An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement, systematic observation, and intervention procedures that will support the literacy progress of beginning readers. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Co-requisite: READ 6511. Two lecture hours a week. Credit: Two hours.
READ 6521. Early Literacy Intervention Practicum. Evaluation of students' literacy and language strengths through systematic observation. Application of Reading Recovery teaching procedures for students receiving individualized literacy lessons. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Co-requisite: READ 6522. Ten practicum hours a week. Credit: One hour.
READ 6522. Early Literacy Intervention. Procedures for working with emerging readers and writers experiencing difficulty learning to read and write. Strategies children need to be independent readers and writers. Theoretical teacher decision-making models based on observations of teacher-child interactions. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Co-requisite: READ 6521. Two lecture hours a week. Credit: Two hours.
READ 6533. Foundations of Literacy. Critical examination of theory and research related to the sociocultural, historic, cognitive, and physiological aspects of literacy practices; analysis of facilitating and inhibiting factors in literacy learning and development; and appraisals of approaches to teaching literacy in relation to this analysis. Prerequisite: Admission to doctoral program in Reading Education or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6543. Theoretical Foundations: Early Literacy and Early Intervention. Critical examination of the underlying theories of early literacy acquisition, including processes related to reading, writing, and oral language, and the underlying theories of prevention of reading difficulties through early intervention. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6563. Nature of Literacy in the Adolescent Years. Examination of the expanding body of research, policy, history, and underlying theories of "adolescent literacy;" implementation of research findings in instruction; consideration of adolescent engagement in situated literacies involving new multi-literacies; influences of social, cultural, linguistic, and historical factors. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6573. Language and Literacy. Seminal and current research and theory pertaining to language and literacy practices, including language acquisition. Focus on how languages and literacies develop inside and outside of school and across sign systems, as well as the social, cultural, linguistic, and historical influences that situate different practices. Prerequisite: READ 6533 or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6583. Research in Literacy. Description of methods and techniques employed in literacy research. Methods for critiquing, analyzing, and synthesizing significant literacy research. Prerequisites: Twelve hours of graduate READ coursework or permission of the instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6593. Advanced Literacy Research Design: Analysis and Evaluation. Methods of inquiry about language and literacy processes and practices: teaching, learning, and proposal development. Prerequisites: Fifteen hours of graduate study in reading including READ 6583 and three hours of statistics, or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6663. Practicum. Registration in the areas of reading, kindergarten, and/or early childhood teaching or by field placement in an administrative or supervisory setting. Type of placement will vary with student's area of major concentration and past experience. Prerequisite: Nine hours of doctoral credit or permission of instructor. Nine practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6673. Theoretical Foundations in Language and Literacy. Introduction to underlying theories that contribute to early reading and writing. Role of systematic observation of oral and written language and the relationship of oral language acquisition to early school literacy. History of research in literacy processes that contribute to the foundations of Reading Recovery. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6683. Doctoral Seminar in Literacy. Variable content. In-depth examination of research relevant to topics. May be repeated for up to twelve hours of credit with permission of advisor. Prerequisites: Three graduate hours in READ or permission of instructor. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6693. Literacy Leadership and Policy. Trends that influence the implementation of effective literacy programs in schools. Theoretical constructs of leadership, organizational, and complex systems and critical discourse analysis as lenses for analysis. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6703. Integration of Literacy Theory and Research. Integration of theoretical foundations, research, practical applications, and individualized areas of expertise in literacy. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6743. Clinical Practicum in Early Literacy Leadership. Theories and practices related to early literacy and early intervention. Principles of early literacy, implementation of early literacy intervention in schools and systems, teaching adult learners, and using data to monitor early literacy and early intervention. Field work in schools required. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Two lecture and four practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6753. Advanced Clinical Practicum in Early Literacy Leadership. Application of expertise in early literacy and early intervention leadership. Participation in the implementation of early literacy teacher courses and early intervention in schools and systems, teaching adult learners, and use of data to refine and evaluate implementation. Field work in schools required. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Two lecture and four practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6903. Special Topics. Variable content. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6911. Independent Study. Variable content. Individual research relating to a problem of professional interest and significance. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit with permission of student's advisor. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and post-master's standing. Credit: One hour.
READ 6913. Independent Study. Variable content. Individual research relating to a problem of professional interest and significance. May be repeated for up to twelve hours of credit with permission of student's advisor. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and post-master's standing. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6983. Dissertation. May be repeated for up to six hours of credit. Credit: Three hours.
READ 6993. Dissertation. May be repeated for up to six hours of credit. Prerequisite: READ 6983. Credit: Three hours.
