The course is designed for M.A.T. candidates entering teacher education from other fields. The course description and student learning outcomes emphasize critical literacy skills, including word analysis and recognition, vocabulary development, and comprehension, along with the development of speaking and listening skills for upper elementary students. The course focuses on assessment and evaluation, equipping candidates with the skills to identify and address students’ reading strengths and weaknesses to provide effective instruction and intervention. The course has been created to build upon the skills and concepts covered in READ 6262: Reading Instruction and Assessment I (PK-2). Both READ 6262 and 6263 are aligned with the latest Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) standards for Foundations of Reading, which focus on structured literacy and the science of teaching reading. Aligning the course with the GaPSC standards ensures candidates are better prepared to address the literacy needs of their students and implement evidence-based instructional approaches and assessments. By designing the course to meet GaPSC standards, we are equipping our candidates with the most current and effective evidence-based practices and strategies in reading instruction to support the different literacy needs of their students and ensure all children have the opportunity to develop strong literacy skills.

Candidates will: 1. Critically analyze and synthesize various theories of literacy learning to deepen their understanding of the reading process. 2. Evaluate, select, and model evidence-based reading strategies focusing on word analysis and recognition, vocabulary development, and comprehension with elementary students. 3. Apply and critique evidence-based instructional methods for promoting literacy learning among elementary readers. 4. Achieve expertise in administering and interpreting a variety of formal and informal reading assessments for elementary students, emphasizing comprehension, speaking, and listening skills, and explain and critique the foundational principles of test construction, including reliability, validity, criterion, and normed standards. 5. Analyze and integrate assessment results from multiple sources, including formal/informal assessments, diagnostic tests, screeners, and progress-monitoring tools, to identify specific reading strengths and weaknesses and communicate these findings clearly, both orally and in writing, to students, parents, and other educators. 6. Design, implement, and evaluate targeted instructional strategies and interventions, utilizing assessment data to meet the specific reading needs of diverse student populations. 7. Develop and implement strategies to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that acknowledges and leverages the diverse backgrounds and needs of elementary students, aiming for equitable outcomes in reading instruction.