Course Description

CMT’s Early Literacy Methods course of study meets the demand for teachers who can address the critical needs of children who are not learning to read and write in school. It is a shift away from teacher education that segments subject matter, theory and pedagogy, an approach which is too far removed from clinical practice.

This clinically-based 4-year program puts practice at the center of teacher preparation. Coursework and fieldwork interface. Literacy teaching is modeled and practiced during coursework. Those teaching methods are applied during fieldwork and followed-up with reflection and problem-solving discussions. Pre-service students are evaluated based on the evidence of the effectiveness of their lessons.

Students enrolled in this course will:

• Learn how to teach the components of the reading and writing processes.
• Understand what higher-order thinking is and how to elicit it.
• Develop a repertoire of skills essential for empowering their students with confidence and self-directed behaviors.
• Know how to manage large classes effectively in order to facilitate collaborative learning, individualized instruction and assessment.
• Adapt instruction in multi-lingual settings
• Provide highly effective instruction in conditions of extreme scarcity