Online Courses for Teachers

Recognizing and Responding to Students’ Speech and Language Needs

(Grades PreK-5) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 168T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC42651

Course Description

Have you ever wondered why some students struggle to communicate clearly, participate in class discussions, or keep up with reading and writing tasks? This online course for teachers takes a comprehensive look at speech and language needs that can appear in PreK-5 classrooms and equips teachers with evidence-based strategies to address them. The course begins with an overview of communication disorders, highlighting their impact on student participation, literacy, academic performance, and social-emotional development, as well as the roles of the school team, families, and the community in providing support. Throughout the rest of the course, teachers will explore articulation and phonology, fluency, vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and comprehension needs. Each unit introduces the nature of one of these challenges, its impact on students’ academic and language development, and practical methods for identifying, accommodating, and intervening effectively. Teachers will gain insight into how speech and language difficulties affect learning across the content areas and discover interventions that can be integrated into everyday instruction. Special attention is given to the needs of students with co-occurring disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as multilingual learners, ensuring inclusive and equitable practices. By the end of this continuing education course, educators will be prepared to recognize early signs of speech and language needs, apply classroom-based supports, and use developmentally appropriate interventions to promote language and literacy growth for every learner. 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.

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