Research-Based Literacy Instruction Microcredential
The Science of Word Reading and Reading Fluency
Program Description:
Unlock the Power of Early Literacy Instruction
Enhance your K-6 teaching with our three-part microcredential designed to elevate your impact in the classroom. This comprehensive program provides a research-backed, practical approach to early literacy instruction, with focused training in:
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Word Reading – emphasizes the foundational science of word recognition
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Fluency Development – addresses reading fluency as the crucial link between decoding and comprehension
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Responsive Coaching – focuses on providing targeted, developmentally appropriate feedback
Enroll today and lead the way in early reading excellence! Microcourses 1 and 2 may be taken individually; microcourse 3 requires completion of microcourse 2. Badges and certificates of participation will be given for completion of each microcourse. To earn the microcredential, learners must complete all three microcourse. Cost is $125 for each microcourse, or $325 for the full microcredential.
Microcourse 1: The Science of Word Reading: Assessment and Instruction for Early Literacy
Microcourse 1 emphasizes the foundational science of word recognition, exploring key components such as phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and sight word recognition. It offers practical assessment tools and structured instructional strategies to help educators identify students' specific needs and design small group lessons that promote accuracy and automaticity in word reading, setting the stage for fluency and comprehension.
Microcourse 2: Fluency Fundamentals: Building the Bridge to Comprehension
Microcourse 2 builds on this foundation by addressing reading fluency as the crucial link between decoding and comprehension. It covers the multidimensional nature of fluency—including accuracy, rate, and prosody—and provides assessment tools and targeted instructional strategies for diverse learners. Educators learn to implement efficient fluency practices within whole-class or small-group settings to enhance students’ expressive and meaningful reading.
Microcourse 3: Assessing and Coaching Reading Fluency: Providing Targeted Feedback and Next Steps
Microcourse 3 extends fluency instruction into responsive coaching, teaching participants how to observe and analyze student reading through multiple lenses and provide targeted, developmentally appropriate feedback. This microcourse focuses on applying fluency knowledge in real-time to support readers at various stages, ensuring instruction is tailored to each student’s needs and advancing their reading growth effectively.
This microcredential is made up of three asynchronous microcourses. Microcourses 1 and 2 may be taken individually; microcourse 3 requires completion of microcourse 2. Badges and certificates of participation will be given for completion of each microcourse. To earn the microcredential, learners must complete all three microcourses.
Format: Asynchronous Online Microcourses
Full Microcredential (Microcourses 1-3) Price: $325 - a $50 bundle discount
Individual Microcourse Price: $125 per microcourse
Please Note: This microcredential and its individual microcourses will have rolling registration with the microcourses closing in January. Once registration is completed, learners will have until January 2026 to complete their chosen microcourses.
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Faculty
Molly Picardi is a staff developer, classroom libraries specialist, and on the data specialist team at TC Advancing Literacy. She works with teachers, coaches, and school leaders in the New York City area and across the country to strengthen their reading and writing instructional practices and to design engaging, student-driven classroom libraries. Prior to joining Advancing Literacy, Molly taught primary and upper grade special education in New Orleans and New York City. She is especially passionate about fostering inclusive classroom communities and helping all students to fall in love with reading and writing.
Learning Objectives
- Define key components of word recognition and reading fluency based on current research frameworks.
- Use various assessment tools to identify students’ strengths and instructional needs in word recognition and fluency.
- Design targeted, sequential small group instruction that builds decoding accuracy, automaticity, and fluency skills.
- Integrate isolated word practice with connected text reading using decodable texts and appropriate fluency activities.
- Apply evidence-based strategies to improve reading accuracy, rate, and prosody through explicit instruction and repeated practice.
- Analyze student reading samples through multiple lenses (accuracy, rate, prosody) to provide targeted, in-the-moment feedback.
- Differentiate coaching approaches to meet readers’ developmental needs and connect instructional practices to comprehensive literacy development.
- Define the key components of word recognition (phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, phonics knowledge, decoding skill, and recognition of words at sight).
- Use various assessment tools to identify students' word recognition strengths and instructional needs.
- Triangulate assessment data from phonemic awareness, letter-sound knowledge, and phonic decoding measures to create targeted instructional plans.
- Implement phonemic awareness instruction that explicitly connects sounds to graphemes to support decoding development.
- Design sequential small group instruction that systematically builds accuracy and automaticity of targeted phonics skills.
- Integrate isolated word practice with connected text reading using appropriate decodable texts.
- Explain how word recognition skills connect to other reading processes within a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction.
- Define reading fluency and its components based on current reading research frameworks.
- Assess students' fluency skills using purposeful tools to identify specific areas of need in accuracy, rate, and prosody.
- Design and implement targeted instructional support to improve students' reading accuracy through explicit phonics instruction and appropriate text selection.
- Apply evidence-based strategies to enhance reading rate, including various forms of repeated reading practice and building automaticity of multiple words.
- Teach and assess prosodic elements of fluency, including appropriate expression, phrasing, and attention to punctuation.
- Integrate fluency instruction into daily literacy routines through efficient 10-minute whole-class or small-group activities.
- Explain the importance of providing targeted, in-the-moment feedback across all phases of reading development.
- Apply multiple lenses (accuracy, rate, and prosody) when listening to and analyzing student reading.
- Prioritize a single instructional focus that falls within a reader's zone of proximal development.
- Differentiate coaching approaches based on readers' developmental needs, from early decoding to expressive reading of complex texts.
- Connect previous knowledge of fluency components to provide responsive coaching.
- Implement practical classroom application through responsive coaching.
Who Should Attend
These microcourses are open to K-6 educators and all educators who wish to deepen their knowledge of early literacy instruction with focused training in word reading, fluency development, and responsive coaching.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete all three microcourses of this microcredential will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
Additionally, a Certificate and Digital Badge will be awarded for each individual microcourse completed, recognizing your achievements every step of the way.
Licensed educators in NY state are also eligible for a Continuing Teacher Leader Education (CTLE) certificate for a total of 9 CTLE hours for the microcredential or 3 CTLEs for each individual microcourse.