Reading to Learn: Developing Strategic Reading Skills

(Grades 4-12) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 28T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41452

Course Description

Why do excellent early readers often begin to struggle when they enter the middle grades? This online course focuses on helping teachers work with students on key reading skills. Teachers will learn how to develop active instructional strategies that facilitate student acquisition and development of standards-based reading skills in a variety of disciplines. Emphasis is on vocabulary development and comprehension strategies and specific strategies such as DRTA, using word roots, and effective graphic organizers are shared. However, for students who struggle, word attack strategies are provided. Issues with fluency are also explored as well as the importance of reading aloud to help build fluency. Teachers will also understand the importance of teaching students the features of text structure as students move from reading primarily narrative text to more expository text. Teachers will learn how to create text-dependent questions to help students develop close reading skills. Teachers will also learn how to establish guided reading groups to further develop their students’ close reading skills. Finally, assessment options for tracking reading skills and improvement will also be explored. By the end of this course, teachers will have the tools and strategies needed to teach students how to effectively read to learn. This 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 university credit, click here.

"Excellent information! Very helpful for classroom teachers teaching reading skills. Lots of resources available. The courses you offer are excellent." - Gailene Anderson