Master of Education in Children’s Literature and Language Arts

The M.Ed. in Children’s Literature & Language Arts is for teachers who love children’s literature and want to develop effective ways of incorporating literature and teaching writing throughout the curriculum. It is designed primarily for the student who has earned an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Middle School Education, or a related field. You will take 12 courses (36 semester hours) in four areas of study: Foundations, Curriculum and Teaching, Language and Literacy, and Research. You may include add-on endorsement courses (e.g., ESOL, Reading, etc.) as part of the program of study. You will develop a professional portfolio in lieu of a traditional comprehensive exam.

Program Requirements

You and your advisor will generate your program of study, which must include the types of courses described below. Additionally, at least one of your selected courses must focus on issues of cultural and/or linguistic diversity.

Foundations (1 course)

Selected courses from Language and Literacy Education, Social Foundations, African American Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Educational Psychology, or Women’s Studies qualify as Foundation courses. Students should consult with their advisors when selecting such courses.

Curriculum & Teaching (2 courses)

Two courses that can be either in LLED or in departments such as Elementary & Social Studies Education, Math & Science Education, or Instructional Technology.

Teaching Field: Language & Literacy (6 courses)

The following are among the courses available in the teaching field.

• LLED 6310 Survey of Children’s Literature Grades P-8
•  LLED 7016 Folk Literature Grades P-12
• LLED 7045 Reading Picturebooks
• LLED 7045 Digital Storytelling
• LLED 7050 Red Clay Writing Project
• LLED 7310 Children’s Literature in the Curriculum Grades P-8
• LLED 7312 Poetry Grades P-8
• LLED 7314 Informational Literature Grades P-8
• LLED 7318 Culturally Diverse Children’s Literature Grades P-8
• LLED 7320 Writing Pedagogy Grades P-8
• LLED 7345 Reading Immigrants’ Experiences
• LLED 7390 Difficulties in Literacy Teaching & Learning Grades P-8
• LLED 7506 Teaching Literature in Spanish for the K-12 Foreign Lang Classroom
• LLED 7630 ESOL Grades P-12
• LLED 7730 First & Second Language Acquisition & Development
• LLED 7731 Advanced Topics in First & Second Language Acquisition

Research (1 course)

We recommend ESSE 7500 or 7500e, Action Research; LLED 7070, Research Methods in Language Education; LLED 7732, Classroom Discourse. Students frequently find it helpful to also take LLED 7650, Developing an Applied Project, but it is not required. It would be considered to be an elective.

Electives (2 courses)

These courses are mutually agreed upon by you and your advisor.

Professional Portfolio

You will develop your portfolio by collecting, selecting, and reflecting on evidence of your learning throughout the program and presenting your portfolio to faculty members and fellow graduate students the final semester you are enrolled.