Connecting Content with Literacy: Dynamic Strategies for Comprehension
(Grades 6-12) / Flex Course
PDI Course Number: 121T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC40398
Course Description
As a teacher in grades 6-12, do you struggle to incorporate literacy and comprehension best practices into your content-area classes? This online course for teachers provides educators in grades 6-12 with a plethora of research-based strategies to tackle substantive literacy issues within their content-area classrooms. Teachers will learn how to incorporate vocabulary strategies within their content-area classrooms, and they will learn how to motivate students to read with cross-curricular reading strategies. Teachers will learn how to foster fluency within the content areas so that students’ speaking and listening skills are actively employed. Teachers will explore a variety of writing strategies that can be used during everyday content-focused lessons. Teachers will be introduced to the backwards planning process so that they understand how beginning with and always keeping the end result in mind helps ensure that literacy concepts are not left out of their content-area lessons. An overview of assessment will be shared, and teachers will learn a variety of strategies for assessing their students’ literacy skills, both formally and informally. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to implement research-based literacy strategies into their own teaching practices within the content areas. This online professional development course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies. For detailed information on receiving university credit for your PDI professional development course, visit our credit page.
Need help? Kimya Nabavi, PDI Program Coordinator, is ready to assist.
"Excellent content and resources. I have enjoyed reflecting on my teaching and being able to add new strategies learned through this course." - Kerrie Busteed
This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UCSD.
You have up to one year from the date you are enrolled to complete a flex course.
View the online course syllabus.
Print our customized course approval form to share with your school district.
TOPICAL OUTLINE
UCSD Course Number: EDUC40398
Unit One
- What is literacy?
- The Big Five
- Factors that Influence Literacy Development
- Assignment #1: Write an autobiography
- Test #1
Unit Two
- Academic and Content Area Vocabulary Acquisition
- Vocabulary Strategies for Reading/ELA
- Vocabulary Strategies for Math and Science
- Vocabulary Strategies for History and Social Studies
- Assignment #2: Article reflection
- Test #2
Unit Three
- Strategies to Build Reading Comprehension Skills
- Dealing with Dyslexia
- Motivating Students to Read with Cross-Curricular Strategies
- Assignment #3: Share your expertise
- Test #3
Unit Four
- Fostering Fluency within the Content Areas
- Promoting Speaking and Listening Skills with Special Needs Students
- Active Speaking and Listening Strategies for the 6-12 Classroom
- Test #4
Unit Five
- Unpacking the Common Core Writing Standards
- Writing Strategies for the Everyday Lesson
- Essay Writing in the Content Areas
- Test #5
Unit Six
- An Overview of Assessment
- Strategies for Informal Assessments
- Strategies for Formal Assessments
- Assignment #4: Create two content-specific lesson plans using the backwards planning method
- Assignment #5: Course Reflection
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