Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual, and Special Education
Dr. Lisa Bennett, MA in Reading and Advanced Literacy Credential Coordinator (RLAA, RLLSC)
Location: Kremen Education Building, Room 265
Phone: 559.278.0243
Email: lbennett@mail.fresnostate.edu
LEBSE Department Website: https://kremen.fresnostate.edu/departments-programs/lebse.html
RLLSC Program webpage: https://kremen.fresnostate.edu/masters-reading/credential.html
Program Philosophy
The Master of Arts in Reading, which includes coursework for the Reading and Literacy Added Authorization (RLAA) and Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential (RLLSC), 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.
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Reading 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.
The Master of Arts in Reading 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 Master of Arts in Reading also learn to inspire other teachers through demonstrations of effective reading strategies.
The MA in Reading is a fully online program.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the admission requirements listed in the Graduate Education Program section of this catalog, admission to the Master of Arts in Reading program requires a minimum of 2.75 GPA, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation.