EG 5853 - Leadership and Coaching in Literacy

This course is an in-depth look into the theoretical and evidence-based processes of reading and writing and instruction. It focuses on equipping teachers with an expert foundational knowledge of literacy research and pedagogical best practices that will help them make appropriate decisions as an informed leader to plan and implement high-quality reading and writing instruction in a clinical or classroom setting. This course develops the skills and knowledge needed for the reading specialist to work with teachers as a coach and mentor. Students will be asked to employ the coaching knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to facilitate job embedded professional learning for teachers and other education professionals. Emphasis will be placed on the roles of the reading specialist as resource provider, data coach, interventionist, and parent and community liaison. The student will understand the cycle of assessment and instruction, classroom and small group organization, and instructional coaching focused on literacy. In addition, course objectives and topics are aligned with Tennessee’s reading specialist standards and the Standards for Reading Professionals from the International Literacy Association (2017).