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The William Woods University Master of Education (MEd) in Reading Instruction program is designed especially for current K-12 teachers who desire to develop extensive skills in the area of effective reading instruction. Students enrolled in this innovative online Master of Education program will develop a deep understanding of the acquisition of language, current issues in reading and writing, theoretical models of literacy, analysis and correction of reading disabilities, curriculum development, assessment and effective intervention. Courses are offered in a flexible 5-week format.
Students earning the Master of Education in Reading Instruction degree will be literacy experts equipped to support literacy instruction in grades K-12 as Reading/Literacy Specialists, Coaches and Interventionists.
#of our graduates who are now principals and assistant principals
# of our graduates who are now school district administrators
# of our graduates who are now school superintendents<
William Woods online graduate education programs are available to students across the country. In Missouri, our students come from Fulton, Columbia, Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City, Moberly, Springfield, Ozark, Cape Girardeau, Rolla and many more locations. Beyond Missouri, our online graduates hail from California, Illinois, Kansas, Washington, Arkansas and other states.
Our graduate education programs are available online and are ranked among the best online programs in Missouri by US News and World Report.
With a Master’s in Reading Instruction and a Missouri K–12 Special Reading Certificate, you can work as a reading specialist, literacy coach, Title I reading teacher, or ELA curriculum leader. These roles involve supporting struggling readers, coaching teachers, and improving school-wide literacy practices. Most Missouri school districts offer higher pay for teachers with a master’s degree and additional certifications. You may also receive stipends for specialized roles like reading interventionist or coach. Overall, this degree and certification increase both your career opportunities and earning potential.
“As a William Woods University student in the Master of Education in Reading Instruction program, I developed a strong understanding of the complex literacy learning of my elementary scholars, the theories behind this understanding, and how to be the literacy educator my striving readers need to succeed. Now, as an instructor in this program, I am able to support my graduate scholars with the same knowledge necessary to see our scholars grow! “
~Christie Geha, EDS
M.Ed. in Reading Instruction: Instructor for EDC 580
Reading Recovery Teacher, Columbia Public Schools
30 Credits
The William Woods University Master of Education (MED) in Reading Instruction program is designed especially for current K-12 teachers who desire to develop extensive skills in the area of effective reading instruction. Students enrolled in this innovative online Master of Education program will develop a deep understanding of the acquisition of language, current issues in reading and writing, theoretical models of literacy, analysis and correction of reading disabilities, curriculum development, assessment and effective intervention. Students earning the Master of Education in Reading Instruction degree will be literacy experts equipped to support literacy instruction in grades K-12 as Reading/Literacy Specialists, Coaches and Interventionists.
| This course is designed to provide educators and non-educators with a broad understanding and better prospective of current issues that are facing the literacy community, i.e. students, teachers, schools and our nation as a whole. This course will focus on a lively discourse and reflection of many issues currently facing public education, literacy instruction, and teacher reform, etc. The course will serve as a platform for bridging the gap between goals, principles, theories, philosophies, and methodologies in the educational process and the real world classroom, teaching, learning, and technology. By discussing educational issues, changes, and emerging trends, it is hoped to expand and enlighten the practitioner’s outlook, thought processes, understanding, and repertoire of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and strategies when faced with those issues. credits: | Current Issues in Reading and Writing | 3 |
| This course is designed to provide reading educators with an understanding of various literacy assessment methods and tools. This course will also focus on using information gained from the assessment to provide targeted intervention instruction for struggling readers. Students will be expected to administer literacy assessments and plan instruction based on student needs. Prerequisite:EDC500, EDC520, EDC530, EDC540,EDC550, EDC560 and EDC580 credits: | Analysis and Correction of Reading Disabilities | 3 |
| This course is designed to explore individual diagnostic procedures, including formal and informal assessment, the interpretation of assessment (cognitive, academic and behavioral) results, and development of educational programs and instruction based on the student’s individual strengths and needs. Students will become familiar with the content, administration and scoring of commonly used academic assessments, as well as curriculum-based measures. Standardized procedures, ethical practice and confidentiality are also emphasized in this course. credits: | Evaluation of Abilities and Achievement | 3 |
| This course is designed to provide educators a survey of various models of reading, including information processing, interactive, transactional, psycholinguistic, socio-cognitive, and other prominent models of reading. Students will be expected to compare and contrast models in order to identify the strengths of each model and the model’s impact on current literacy instruction practices. credits: | Theoretical Models in Literacy | 3 |
| Students in this course will learn how a child’s language proficiency impacts literacy development. There will be an emphasis on creating a literate classroom environment and diverse opportunities for the learner to interact with language and literacy (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). credits: | Language Acquisition and Literacy | 3 |
| This course will provide educators an increased understanding of various text structures in multiple genres. Students will learn to utilize mentor texts to teach students to comprehend and produce text in a variety of genres. They will also learn about the significance of the reciprocity between reading and writing. credits: | Literacy Across A Variety of Genres | 3 |
| This course will provide educators an overview for supporting student learning in a positive environment specifically focusing on evidence based strategies to maximize classroom productivity and implement effective structures of a comprehensive literacy model. Study of student support will include classroom organization, expectations and reinforcement of appropriate behavior. credits: | Classroom Communities for the Enhancement of Student Learning | 3 |
| This course addresses the basic counseling techniques commonly used in the helping professions. The topics include the helping relationship, recognizing communication patterns, responding to cognitive content, responding to affective content, conceptualizing problems, and using counseling strategies and interventions. credits: | Counseling Techniques | 3 |
| This practicum experience provides for the study of instructional strategies for literacy intervention and application of these strategies for the benefit of supporting striving elementary readers to progress. During this course, the student will select one (kindergarten through fifth grade) student who is currently reading below grade level expectations. The student will administer/analyze pre-assessments, design/implement a series of intervention tutoring sessions, and administer/analyze post-assessments to make teacher/parent recommendations. Students will analyze ongoing assessment data and reflect after each session to drive future instruction. A minimum if 12 tutoring hours will be completed for this practicum. Prerequisite:EDC500, EDC540, EDC520, EDC580, EDC550, EDC530, EDC560 and EDC510 credits: | Elementary Reading Practicum | 3 |
| This practicum experience provides for the study of instructional strategies for literacy intervention and application of these strategies for the benefit of supporting striving secondary readers to progress. During this course, the student will select one (sixth through twelfth grade) student who is currently reading below grade level expectations. The student will administer/analyze pre-assessments, design/implement a series of intervention tutoring sessions, and administer/analyze post-assessments to make teacher/parent recommendations. Students will analyze ongoing assessment data and reflect after each session to drive future instruction. A minimum if 12 tutoring hours will be completed for this practicum. Prerequisite: EDC500, EDC540, EDC520, EDC580, EDC550, EDC530, EDC560, EDC510, and EDC590 credits: | Secondary Reading Practicum | 3 |