UHV to offer training for educators working with dyslexic students
Educators who want to better serve the needs of students with dyslexia will have the opportunity beginning in the spring to take three University of Houston-Victoria graduate-level courses about the disorder.
The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development has created a Dyslexia Education Certificate awarded to students who take the online courses focused on dyslexia instruction. In addition to the certificate, the course credits will count toward a Master of Education in literacy studies.
“This certification came from a collaboration among the literacy faculty,” said Katina Thomas, a UHV assistant professor of literacy studies. “We saw a need for more attention and awareness on how dyslexic students should be taught and assisted. We want to close the achievement gap and help students be successful.”
Although most K-12 schools have at least one specialist available for these students, the increase in screenings and identification of students who have dyslexia or characteristics of dyslexia means it is important for individual teachers to be trained in how to meet students’ needs, Thomas said.
The courses will focus on increasing instructors’ knowledge and awareness of dyslexia and the best practices to assist students. The courses are:
- “Instruction for Students with Literacy Difficulties” – This course is a research-based study of instructional strategies to promote literacy development for struggling students, including those with dyslexia.
- “Assessment of Multi-Literacies Learning” – Students will look at various assessment tools, instructional resources and theoretical underpinnings that guide the use of these tools, as well as formal and informal assessments for literacy learners and dyslexia screenings.
- “Foundations of Developmental Reading” – Students will study the foundation of reading with a focus on necessary skills for standard development as well as an examination of dyslexia and how those skills are underdeveloped in readers with dyslexia.
“This certificate will be an important tool for educators in today’s classrooms,” said Fred Litton, dean of the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development. “Many teachers are passionate and dedicated to helping their students achieve success, and the information taught in these courses will equip those educators to better reach dyslexic students.”
The certificate is intended for current educators who have at least a bachelor’s degree, but it is open for anyone accepted as a UHV graduate student or temporary graduate student.
“We encourage all educators to pursue this certificate,” Thomas said. “It’s important that students dealing with dyslexia or other literacy difficulties receive services from professionals equipped to handle their needs.”
To learn more about the Dyslexia Education Certificate, contact Thomas at 361-570-4816 or thomaskl1@uhv.edu.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
