UHV to add dyslexia certificate to graduate program
The University of Houston-Victoria will launch its Dyslexia Education Certificate next spring for individual students or groups from school districts.
The courses will train educators to better meet the needs of dyslexic students. It will be part of the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s Master of Education in literacy studies program.
“Developing the Dyslexia Education Certificate has been a long, intensive process,” said Fred Litton, dean of the school. “Dyslexia is a growing need in America’s classrooms, and UHV is ready to help educators prepare to help dyslexic students receive the best education possible.”
Although the certificate is planned to begin in spring 2018, courses might be available in the fall if there is enough interest, said Jane Fry, a UHV associate professor of literacy studies. In addition, students can choose to take all three courses at once instead of one a semester, if there is demand for it.
UHV is seeking an endorsement from the International Dyslexia Association, Fry said. That will allow students to pursue the requirements to become a dyslexia practitioner or dyslexia therapist.
The school also wants to work with area school districts to make class sessions available, Fry said. If a district has a group of teachers who want to earn the UHV certificates, the university can offer a special schedule to meet that need.
“The method of delivery for the courses would be based on what works best for the district,” she said. “We can offer the classes online, face to face or even in Saturday sessions. We want to enable educators in any way possible, and we’re willing to work with school districts.”
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.
To learn more about the Dyslexia Education Certificate, contact Fry at 361-570-4252 or fryj@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.
