EDC G 659 First and Second Language Acquisition, Reading & Writing for Urban Mainstream Teachers PreK-12

This course is part of a two-course sequence aiming to fulfill the requirements for Categories I and IV of the April 2006 Guidelines for Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) professional development of the Massachusetts Department of Education. It provides all teachers with introductory knowledge of first and second language learning and teaching, and effective teaching of reading and writing to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Through this course, theoretical and instructional issues in the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking are explored. Participants engage in reflective, critical consideration of students¿ diverse needs in the acquisition of language and literacy. Topics include a study of second language acquisition as it affects emergent literacy development; literacy lesson planning; strategies for supporting the beginning reading and writing of English language learners; classroom management issues related to responsive, differentiated literacy instruction; and ideas for strengthening the home-school connection. Language issues in increasingly diverse urban schools provide the setting for the development of best practice. This is a three graduate credit course requiring a minimum of 37.5 contact hours.

3 Credit(s)