Online Courses for Teachers

Reading and Writing Strategies for Students with Special Needs

(Grades K-5) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 134T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC42383

Course Description

As more and more students with special needs find their way into inclusive classrooms, do you find yourself stretching to accommodate their diverse learning needs? This online course for teachers is specifically designed to address the myriad literacy needs of students with learning disabilities who are present in general education K-5 classrooms. The course begins by introducing teachers to the science of reading so that they can understand why so many students with learning disabilities tend to struggle with reading and writing. From there, an overview of the MTSS framework is provided to help teachers understand the process of moving struggling students through the various literacy interventions throughout the tiers. Teachers will take a deep dive into all the foundational components of literacy as they explore numerous strategies and interventions to help students with special needs succeed and exceed in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. Throughout this course, teachers will learn how to use developmentally-appropriate activities, lessons, and interventions to help students with learning disabilities increase their literacy skills, often using a multi-sensory approach. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to embed best literacy practices into their K-5 classrooms so that the needs of all students can be met. 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.

"I think the content and resources were very helpful. I have already used them in planning the writing units for this year. I liked that the resources are easy to implement." - Samantha Sullivan