Advanced Structured Literacy, Buettler, Summer 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S62
Instructor:	Leigh Buettler, M.Ed.
Location:	Online synchronously and asynchronously
Dates and Times:	July 8 - August 21, 2026
Credits:	2 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	Set by and payable to educational partner The Stern Center for Language & Learning

Course Description

Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading extend far beyond foundational word recognition. This five-part, self-paced webinar series is designed for educators who want to deepen their understanding of how students comprehend, analyze, and engage with text.

Each asynchronous session explores evidence-based instructional strategies that support reading fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension. You’ll gain practical tools and insights to help your students not only read words, but make meaning from them.

Topics include:

Syntax, Sentence Comprehension, and Grammar: Understand how sentence structure influences meaning and supports comprehension.
Vocabulary: Learn strategies to build students’ word knowledge and word consciousness.
Morphology & Etymology: Discover how understanding word parts and origins can unlock deeper reading and writing skills.
Fluency: Explore the role of prosody, accuracy, and automaticity in skilled reading.
Reading Comprehension: Examine what the research says about helping students think deeply about what they read.

Through a blend of recorded webinars, interactive practice, and curated resources, you’ll gain tools to enhance your instruction and deepen your confidence in supporting all readers.

You can opt to earn two graduate credits for this course.

This series is designed for educators and administrators who want to grow or refine their knowledge of foundational reading skills and how students learn to read. The course content, activities, and strategies are applicable for educators working in grades K–12.

The summer course is fully asynchronous and self-paced. You’ll engage with recorded webinars, interactive activities, and curated resources while receiving personalized, specific feedback on written assignments from course instructors. This feedback is tailored to your responses and reflections, helping you connect course content directly to your classroom practice.

Audience: Elementary, middle school and high school teachers, special educators, specialists, interventionists, private tutors, and literacy coaches who have an earned bachelor's degree.

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals: This course is designed to deepen educators’ understanding of language comprehension and equip them with practical, evidence-based strategies to help students move beyond word recognition toward fluent, meaningful reading across all grade levels and content areas.

Course Objectives:

Explain how sentence structure, syntax, and grammar contribute to students’ reading comprehension.
Implement instructional strategies that support vocabulary development and promote word consciousness.
Apply knowledge of morphology and etymology to enhance students’ reading and writing skills.
Use evidence-based fluency practices to support prosody, accuracy, and automaticity in reading.
Analyze key components of reading comprehension and integrate strategies that help students think critically about text.
Reflect on and refine instructional practice through video analysis and personalized coaching sessions.
Adapt course strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners across K–12 settings and content areas.
Identify and apply appropriate instructional strategies for evidence-based literacy practices

Required Readings/Resources

All readings, videos, podcasts, and recommended resources are included in the cost of this course. All materials will be shared via Google.

Readings include:

Eisenman, J. (2021, June 8). Why diversity and equity in content matters for reading growth [Blog post]. NASSP.

Murphy, K. (2023, June 1). How to maximize the benefits of individual reading conferences. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-maximize-benefits-individual-reading-conferences/

National Center on Improving Literacy. (2023). How to Build Fluency with Text in Your Classroom. https://www.improvingliteracy.org/resource/how-to-build-fluency-with-text-in-your-classroom

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. (2020). Evidence-based practices for comprehension instruction. Austin, TX: Author.

Sedita, J. (2022, August 26). New book: The Writing Rope. Keys to Literacy. https://keystoliteracy.com/blog/new-book-the-writing-rope/

For additional course information

Leigh Buettler

(802) 276-8783

This course requires registration with the Stern Center for Language and Learning first. Please click on the Register Now! button below.

For additional registration information

Please contact the Stern Team