Sacred Heart University is offering a new graduate certificate program for teachers to help them better instruct students with dyslexia.
The Fairfield-based Catholic university’s Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development is partnering with The Southport School in Southport for the new offering.
The Southport School specializes in teaching elementary and middle school-aged students who have dyslexia and other learning difficulties.
Kristin Rainville, associate professor and program director for literacy at Sacred Heart, said children with dyslexia need more explicit, direct and systematic instruction. Rainville has a child with dyslexia.
“I met with teacher after teacher who felt unprepared to work with children with dyslexia,” Rainville said. “Every teacher should have the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of these children.”
The new dyslexia graduate certificate program is for 18 credits and is offered online.
An initial cohort of students started in the program this summer, with a second cohort to start in January.
Program participants will learn about dyslexia, including its early warning signs and academic impacts, and best instructional practices.
Participants also will work directly with children. They will assess an individual student, develop a comprehensive reading evaluation and prepare lessons for the child. Each will spend at least 45 hours working with their assigned child. Interactions are recorded and submitted to an instructor for evaluation and feedback, according to the university.
