Reading Education M.Ed.

Degree: Master of Education
https://www.towson.edu/coe/departments/elementary/grad/reading/

Program Director: Stephen Mogge
Phone: 410-704-5771
Email: smogge@towson.edu

The Master of Education in Reading Education program is designed to prepare reading teachers or reading specialists, primarily for PreK-12 education but also for community colleges, industry, adult education programs, commercial education centers and private practice. The 36-unit program is highly structured with nine required courses and three electives (two of which must be in the area of literacy). It is developmental in design. Students grow in both their knowledge and application as they proceed through the program.

The Graduate Reading Education Program at Towson University does not subscribe to a particular position on reading. It closely reflects the broad, comprehensive knowledge and pedagogical skills and strategies outlined in the 2017 Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals developed by the International Literacy Association.

The goals of the M.Ed. in the Reading Education program are to prepare reading teachers or reading specialists who have a dynamic understanding of the reading process, a wide array of resources for enhancing literacy for all learners, the competencies to coach others (classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, etc.), and the competencies to advocate for the best literacy environments.

The program is designed to prepare the degree candidate to:

• Provide specialized literacy instruction and assessment, in cooperation with other professionals, to students at all levels.
• Provide literacy services individually or in groups.
• Communicate with colleagues, parents and the community about literacy issues, including conducting professional development workshops on literacy topics.
• Coach and/or mentor colleagues.
• Advocate for literacy development among all populations.
• Read and interpret literacy research.
• Continue to grow professionally by reading professional journals and by participating in reading conferences and workshops.
• Master essential dispositions of educators (caring for all students, collaboration with stakeholders, and commitment to professional practice).

The M.Ed. in Reading Education program is grounded in five philosophical beliefs:

• Literacy learning involves not only reading, but also writing, listening, speaking and viewing.
• Literacy instruction must be research-based and therefore requires reading specialists to be competent in interpreting and applying research findings.
• Literacy instruction must be responsive to the individual differences among learners.
• Literacy instruction must be inclusive and celebrate the diversity of learners.
• Literacy instruction and assessment must be closely connected so that instruction is developed, monitored and modified using multiple sources of assessment data.

The M.Ed. in Reading Education program can be completed on a part-time basis. Most in-person courses are offered in the early evening (e.g., 4:30-7:00 p.m.) one night per week. Some courses are offered in hybrid or fully online formats. All nine required courses on campus are offered in fall or spring terms and many are offered during the summer.

The Reading Clinic

Director: Shelly Huggins
Hawkins Hall 107H, 410-704-2558
readingclinic@towson.edu

This practicum experience is for graduate students in the master’s degree program in Reading. The Reading Clinic provides diagnostic and remediation services to individuals in the community who need improvement in reading and writing.

Admission Requirements

Application deadlines and a full listing of materials required for admission can be found on the website.

Degree Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
The M.Ed. in Reading Education requires nine specific courses, five of which must be taken before the first clinical practicum, REED 626. Consult with your assigned adviser about the sequence of courses. It is suggested that REED 745, and REED 726 be taken near the end of the program and that your final course be REED 729.
REED 601	READING THEORY AND PRACTICE	3
REED 609	READING ASSESSMENT	3
REED 621	LITERACY FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS	3
REED 663	STRATEGIC USE OF MATERIALS	3
REED 665	LITERACY IN THE CONTENT AREAS PREK-12	3
REED 626	CLINICAL INTERNSHIP IN READING 1	3
REED 726	ADVANCED CLINIC INTERNSHIP IN READING 1	3
REED 729	SEMINAR IN READING	3
REED 745	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN LITERACY	3
Electives
There is considerable flexibility in elective course selection in order to meet the unique program needs of individual candidates. Two of the three electives must be literacy courses. Please check with your assigned adviser for guidance. Suggested courses include (but are not limited to) the following:		9
Literacy Electives
REED 632	WORD STUDY FOR IMPROVING LITERACY
REED 650	SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND CURRICULAR CONTEXTS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING
REED 651	INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT FOR SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS
REED 652	INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS FOR TEACHERS OF LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
REED 660	INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION
REED 670	SPECIAL TOPICS IN READING EDUCATION (e.g., Adolescent Literacy; Writing Instruction)
REED 695	INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY IN READING EDUCATION
REED 710	MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
REED 714	ADOLESCENT LITERACY
REED 751	LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND CULTURE
EDUC 610	THEORY, RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN TEACHING COMPOSITION (Maryland Writing Project Summer Institute)
Other Electives
ECED 607	LEARNER DIVERSITY, CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS, AND INCLUSION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
ECED 609	GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN
EDUC 660	MATTERS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND EMPOWERMENT IN LEARNING COMMUNITIES
EDUC 761	INQUIRY FOR PRACTICE
ISTC 501	INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
ISTC 605	E-LEARNING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
ISTC 663	INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING SCIENCES
ISTC 667	INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
PSYC 611	DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
SPED 637	INCLUSION FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER
Total Units		36

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There are two required clinical practica or internships in the program: REED 626, and REED 726. They are both 3-unit experiences that require 45 contact hours with clients, parents and fellow clinicians each term. (These courses are known as Reading Clinic and are typically scheduled for 4:30 p.m. during the academic school year.) In addition to working with one client, the students enrolled in the advanced internship are responsible for providing parent workshops on a variety of topics as well as serving as coaches to novice teachers. If a student withdraws from REED 626 or REED 726 without consulting with the instructor, he or she must petition the director of the program in order to re-enroll in the course. All REED graduate students are responsible for understanding professional expectations. In addition to fulfilling all academic requirements, successful completion requires demonstrated professional behavior, including, but not limited to, punctuality, attendance, professional attire, discretion, respect for confidentiality, effective and appropriate communication with students, parents and colleagues, and acceptance of diversity.

Program Exit Requirements

Students must earn the grade of “A” or “B” in REED 626, REED 726 and REED 729. Each course may be repeated once, if necessary. Students not earning an “A” or “B” in each of those courses are dismissed from the program.

Throughout the program, students collect key assignments, along with the grade sheets, which become artifacts in their Program Portfolio. At the conclusion of the REED 729 course, students are required to present their Program Portfolio to faculty and to new students in the program. They are also required to submit a Portfolio Reflective Essay.