UMaine Hutchinson Center to begin a new graduate literacy cohort with literacy courses this summer

February 13, 2018 Academics & Enrollment, Community
Belfast, Maine — The University of Maine Hutchinson Center will offer early literacy graduate courses this summer to lead off a new literacy cohort beginning fall 2018.

Literacy and Language Development (ERL 534) will examine how oral and written language are acquired; sociocultural linguistic variations, connections between language acquisition and print awareness, and classroom practices that promote language development. This class will meet Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, July 2–24, 12:30–4:30 p.m.

Students will read, discuss and present research on historical and current issues in reading and reading instruction in the Seminar in Reading (ERL 601) course. The class will meet Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 a.m.–noon, July 2–24.

Course instructor Susan Bennett-Armistead draws on 20 years as a preschool teacher, parent educator and program administrator, as well as a Ph.D. with an emphasis in early literacy. She speaks nationally to parent groups and educators on the role families can play in children’s literacy learning. Bennett- Armistead held the Correll Professorship in Early Literacy at UMaine for five years.

UMaine’s master’s program in literacy education offers a variety of options for teachers seeking additional expertise. The literacy cohort is a 33-credit program designed to further elementary and secondary teachers’ knowledge of literacy theories, practices and research. Applicants must hold certification in either elementary or secondary education, and have two years of successful teaching experience. Students complete requirements in a required core of 15 hours in literacy.

To register, contact Amy Smith, Academic Advisor, 338.8004, amy.m.smith@maine.edu. For more information, contact Susan Bennett-Armistead, 581.2418, susan.bennett- armistead@maine.edu.

About the University of Maine:
The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s land grant and sea grant university. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from Maine and 49 other states, and 67 countries. It currently enrolls 11,240 total undergraduate and graduate students who can directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars. The University of Maine offers 35 doctoral programs and master’s degrees in 85 fields; more than 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs; and one of the oldest and most prestigious honors programs in the U.S. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide aimed at conserving energy, recycling and adhering to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.