ED PS 6631 - Assessment and Intervention for Reading Difficulties

The purpose of this course is to help practicing interventionists become knowledgeable and proficient with: (a) administering and interpreting various reading assessments and (b) understanding and implementing research-based literacy instruction with struggling readers. Students will learn how to screen for reading difficulties, identify specific areas of strengths and needs, and monitor students’ mastery and progress throughout intervention. In addition, students will learn about implementing research-based reading instruction across the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Finally, this course will focus on the assessment/instruction cycle, discussing the iterative process of using assessment data to inform instruction. This course includes hands-on practice tutoring a student at the University of Utah Reading Clinic (UURC). As such, you will be working with a student directly and will have the opportunity to apply the content you will learn about in this course under the supervision of a clinical faculty member. The UURC faculty will provide you with ongoing feedback and guidance throughout your tutoring. Please note that for this course to count toward the USBE’s Secondary Intervention Endorsement, educators must implement Higher Steps in a small group of secondary students (i.e. grades 6–12).