M.A. in Education Option: Reading/Language Arts Requirements
Dr. Imelda Basurto
Kremen Education Building, Room 250
559.278.0285
ibasurto@csufresno.edu
https://kremen.fresnostate.edu/masters-education/reading-language-arts/index.html
Program Philosophy. The Reading/Language Arts MA, which includes the Reading and Literacy Added Authorization and Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential, is a practitioner-centered program focusing on the interdisciplinary study of literacy from a variety of critical and sociocultural perspectives. Through these perspectives we emphasize culture and language in literacy instruction. As a program, we follow the International Literacy Association’s definition of literacy as identifying, understanding, interpreting, creating, computing, and communicating with visual, audible, and digital materials across disciplines and contexts (2018). Skills like Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension, as well as literary response and critique, and writing/composition, are developed through the lens of cultural experiences, the use of socially-situated practices, and culturally sustaining materials.
We believe all people are literate, and align with Kirkland (2013, p. xiv) who stated, “Literacy is a potential-complex, social, cultural, historical, and even political-that, like energy, is ever stored in the human bond. The practice of literacy is a release of this energy/potential, which always exists in every human’s ability/vocation to make sense of our world” (David Kirkland, 2013, p. xiv).
Program Description. The Master of Arts degree program in Education with an option in reading/language arts is designed to provide professional and specialized preparation for classroom and resource teachers and consultants; diagnosticians and supervisors in reading clinics, schools, and community colleges. It enables graduates to do consulting and editing for publishing companies and to pursue advanced graduate study in universities offering the doctoral degree.
Reading and Language Arts graduate courses are designed to help teachers learn how to make curricular decisions about teaching reading and how to meet the needs of students with varying language communication backgrounds. Students pursuing a degree or credential in Reading and Language Arts also learn to inspire other teachers to upgrade the reading/language abilities of students through demonstrations of effective reading strategies.
Admission Requirements. In addition to the admission requirements listed in the Graduate Education Program section of this catalog, admission to the M.A. in Education option - Reading/Language Arts program requires a minimum of 2.75 GPA, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation.
Program Requirements. Under the direction of the Reading Program Coordinator, each student prepares and submits an individually designed program within the following framework: