EDU-EDU8615 - Literacy Stations for PreK-2nd Grade

Course Description

This course will provide you with specific steps to implement effective literacy stations, otherwise known as reading stations and literacy centers, in your classroom. This teacher professional development course will teach you how to establish appropriate expectations and behaviors for station work, group students, select the correct activities for each station, and assess and collect data for progress monitoring. You will learn about the importance of providing differentiated activities to your student groups and build a plan for the successful implementation of station activities. Throughout your course, you will build a literacy station implementation plan for an upcoming area of focus. This course also comes with a comprehensive set of resources, including ready-to-go printable activities you can use to get started on your stations immediately.

Course Outline

1. Literacy Stations: What, Why, & How

What literacy stations Are
Why and when stations are beneficial to students when we differentiate for student groups
An overview of the steps that should be taken to implement literacy stations
What effective literacy stations look and sound like in the primary grades

2. Grouping Students

When to use whole group instruction and when to use small group instruction
Different options for grouping students
Common practices and recommendations for grouping students
Effective ways to assess students' literacy skills

3. Literacy Stations Planning Activities & Implementation

How to choose and plan literacy station activities based on grade levels
How to differentiate stations activities to meet the needs of learners
How to use the provided resources effectively
How to implement literacy stations into the classroom by following a sequence of steps

4. Expectations & Behaviors

How and why to establish age-appropriate expectations for independent work time
The importance of modeling expected behaviors
How to choose a behavior management plan that works effectively for you and your students

5. Collecting Data

Why collecting data during small group time is important
Different ways data can be collected during your literacy stations
How to develop a strategy for keeping students accountable while working independently in literacy stations

6. Putting it All Together

Using the sample provided, build your own literacy stations plan for an upcoming lesson.

7. Applying What you Have Learned

Get ideas on how to implement the concepts into your classroom, find a list of online resources that feature ideas and activities for reading stations, and read the research behind reading stations as a method of reading support.

Learner Outcomes

Evaluate the specific steps you can implement to build a literacy stations plan in your classroom
Review and understand ready-to-use literacy station activities for specific reading skills at your grade level
Analyze grouping and assessment methods to help you track student growth in literacy

Notes

This is an asynchronous online course offered through the third party vendor ed2go. This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook. The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online. You will have three months to complete the course, and may complete the course earlier than the three month period. Editing of a Microsoft Word document is required in this course. You may use a free version of Microsoft Word Online or Google Docs if you do not have Microsoft Office installed on your computer.