Reading and writing – what would life be without it? A far less colorful place, that’s for sure. And that’s why deciding to major in reading and literacy is an incredible career path to undertake, as you’ll be bringing a wonderful gift to a whole multitude of people. Whether your dream is to teach these skills to children during their formative years, or perhaps help those in later life who’ve not been fortunate enough to grasp the concept as a child, a qualification in reading and literacy is both a career and a vocation. Whilst many people learn to read and write at school, there’s still a large proportion who move into adult life with only low level skills. This then impacts on their everyday lives in many different ways, including the ability to gain employment and provide for their families. Those who choose to teach literacy really do offer a life changing skill to all they educate.
What are reading and literacy instruction courses all about?
Literacy instruction is all about learning and understanding the optimum ways of teaching different people to read and write. There’s a big difference between teaching a young child, whose mind is at the peak of its learning and absorbing state, to teaching an adult with literary issues. Reading and literacy degree schools will show you the different ways in which to approach each type of student for maximum effect. It goes without saying that to succeed in this area you’ll need high literacy skills yourself, along with excellent communication skills and a strong desire to help others.
What will I learn on a reading and literary course?
All literary instruction courses have a different way of presenting their curriculum. However, wherever you study you can expect your course to include the following:
- In-depth research into reading trends
- Multiple different approaches to teaching reading
- Practical and theoretical knowledge of designing and implementing different types of reading programs
- Assessment of student’s reading and writing abilities and progress
- Trends and issues in reading and writing research
- Understanding and putting into practice the various different components of reading and writing programs
- Communication skills – both verbal and non-verbal
What methods will a reading and literary course use to teach me?
The literary instruction used on a course will be both theoretical and practical. As your course progresses you can expect it to take a more practical approach, and you’re likely to undertake various work placements to get some hands-on experience. You’ll also be expected to design and implement various levels of reading and writing courses for all levels of students. It’s highly likely that you’ll undertake ongoing assessments during your training, along with examinations, projects and self-led learning.
After gaining my reading and literary qualification, what options are open to me for employment?
Once qualified there are many different employment opportunities that you might like to take advantage of. These could include special and remedial literacy education, preschool reading, elementary and secondary reading education, adult literacy or even teaching English as second language – also known as ESL.