The classes, offered at Lewiston-Auburn College, will begin the week of Jan. 19.

LEWISTON – The following graduate courses for teachers will be offered in the spring semester at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn campus.

The classes, which begin the week of Jan. 19, are offered through the College of Education and Human Development. Registration is open through the first week of classes.

EDU 561 Aspects of the English Language (4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays): The survey course examines the elements of English and their relevance in second language acquisition. The course analyzes the phonetic, morphological, syntactic and semantic structure of English; the social aspects such as variation, change and register; and the communicative aspects such as pragmatics, psycholinguistics and acquisition.

Application of the language aspects will be accomplished through problem-solving and discussion activities integrating the aspects of English within the second language classroom context. Three credits.

EDU 565 Teaching Reading (4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays): The course is a pre-service introduction to the acquisition of reading and writing in children and of the enhancement of the skills through process-oriented classroom instruction.

Acquiring literacy is a developmental process. The course provides a framework for research-based instructional practices on how children learn to read. The stages of reading progress are examined.

Major emphasis is on evolving a balanced approach to literary instruction, creating communities of learners, scaffolding reading and writing experiences, designing effective organization and management formats and relating literacy instruction to assessment.

A significant portion of the course is devoted to demonstrating actual classroom reading and writing experiences via workshops, simulations and modeling instructional techniques. Three credits.

EDU 600 Research Methods and Techniques (via compressed video from 7 to 9:45 p.m. Thursdays): The course studies the concepts, principles and techniques of educational research with an emphasis on scientific inquiry and problem-solving, designed for the producer and consumer of educational research. Individual research proposals and reports are completed. Pre-requisite: open to matriculated students only. Three credits.

EDU 605 Testing and Assessment (4 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays): The course develops students’ knowledge of testing and assessment and provides opportunities for students to apply that knowledge.

Topics include methods of assessment (standardized tests and selected response assessments, essays, performance assessment and student-teacher communication and attitudes).

Students will increase their understanding of the purposes of testing and assessment; demonstrate their understanding of the connections among assessment, curriculum, and teaching and learning standards; and be able to communicate their knowledge of testing and assessment to a variety of audiences. Three credits.

EDU 620 Reading Development and Instruction (4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays): The course traces the development of literacy and examines conditions that foster its growth. Topics relate to major stages of literacy development and include pre-school influences on literacy, initial reading, the development of fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension, study skills and refinement of reading. Informal diagnostic techniques are demonstrated and practiced. The invariant nature of literacy acquisition among students of all ages is stressed. Three credits.

SED 540 Teaching Exceptional Children in the Classroom (7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays): The course is an introduction to the unique characteristics and needs of special education students. Topics will include understanding characteristics of students with disabilities, implementing instructional strategies, working with parents and understanding state and federal laws and policies. Three credits.

SED 611 Nature and Needs of Learners Who Are Exceptional (via ITV 11 a.m to noon Saturdays): The course focuses on the unique characteristics and educational and social/emotional needs of children and youth who display a range of learning and behavioral difficulties, including learning disabilities, mild forms of developmental delay and mild to moderate forms of behavioral and adjustment problems. Three credits.

For advising and registration assistance, call the college at 753-6500. Complete spring semester course listings are available on-line at usm.maine.edu/lac.