Effective Reading Instruction: Community & Practice, K-8
Create a supportive literacy learning environment that strengthens individual reading development and builds a community of confident readers.
This course will teach the rationales and organizational components of classroom reading instruction. You will examine effective instructional practices and strategies to strengthen reading development for a wide range of readers, including multilingual learners.
- Classroom Teachers & Interventionists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- Course: EEDUC 6168-80
- Fees are subject to change
Creating a safe and supportive classroom environment is essential for effective reading instruction. In this eight-week course, you will learn the rationales and organizational components to structure literacy instruction in ways that strengthen individual students’ reading processes while fostering collaboration and independence as readers.
Participants will examine the instructional practices that cultivate a culture of learning in which students feel confident taking risks, engaging deeply with texts, and developing their identities as capable, independent readers. The course also explores strategies for supporting students who experience challenges with the reading process, and multilingual learners.
As part of the course, educators will apply their learning through guided work with a student currently in grades K–8. This hands-on component provides an opportunity to closely analyze reading behaviors, implement targeted instructional strategies, and reflect on decisions that support students’ growth, confidence, and independence.
Course Outcomes and Objectives
Participants will learn to:
- 1. Build knowledge of reading as a complex process that involves thinking within, beyond, and about the text in order to support comprehension.
- Examine the structure of effective reading instruction including: Book talks, minilessons, independent reading and conferences, and share.
- Informally assess readers and describe the reading behaviors they demonstrate through oral reading, talk, and writing.
- Analyze texts using ten text characteristics to support readers in making appropriate book selections for independent reading.
- Identify key ideas in curating classroom libraries with varied levels of text complexity and diverse selections that represent a wide range of cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support independent reading.
- Examine and use mentor texts to model thinking about reading and literary analysis in reading minilessons.
- Structure classroom reading instruction to provide opportunities to support student learning through whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences.
- Confer with individual students during independent reading demonstrating, prompting, or reinforcing reading behaviors that will help students become proficient readers.
- Create opportunities for students to talk, draw, and write in response to texts (in a variety of genres and forms) they are reading.
Linda Murphy, Associate Director, Literacy Programs 
Linda has worked in school districts in New York in a variety of roles and settings. Prior to her joining the center at Lesley University, Linda held positions as a principal of an intermediate school, a Director of English Language Arts, Social Studies and Reading, a district trainer for Literacy Collaborative Intermediate, a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and a classroom teacher. Linda holds licenses in Elementary Education and School District Administration.
Required Texts
You are responsible for purchasing/having access to the following professional texts for this course:
- Dorfman, L. R. & Krupp B. J. (2023). Welcome to reading workshop structures and routines that support all readers. Stenhouse.
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2016). Prompting guide for comprehension: Thinking, talking, and writing, Part 2. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2018). The literacy quick guide a reference tool for responsive literacy teaching. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2022). The Fountas & Pinnell literacy continuum: A tool for assessment, planning and teaching, (2nd ed.). Heinemann.
This option must be taken for 3 graduate credits. Take the course individually or as a required course in our 18-credit Online Graduate Certificate in Developing Literacy Expertise Through Responsive Classroom Teaching.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers.
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