May 1, 2026 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
What Teachers Need to Understand About the Alphabetic System: Phonics & Spelling
Assure teacher expertise in foundational skills.
In this self-paced course, expand your knowledge of the alphabetic system so you can teach foundational skills effectively to all of your students including English learners.
- Classroom Teachers, Interventionists, & Specialists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- Non-Credit: $750 + required text
- Graduate Credit: $775 ($750/credit +$25/credit comprehensive fee) + required text
- Course Number: EEDUC 5410
- Fees are subject to change
These links will prompt you to pay for the course with a credit card. If your school/district is paying for this course with a purchase order (PO), please email CRRLC@lesley.edu to request details about this process.
Develop knowledge of the alphabetic system so you are prepared to address the learning needs of all students including English learners. This course examines principles of effective phonics instruction related to the complexity and structure of language. Gain an understanding of the nine categories of phonics, spelling and word study learning including: early literacy concepts, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, letter-sound relationships, spelling patterns, high-frequency words, word meaning/vocabulary, word structure, and word-solving actions.
By enrolling in this on-demand course, you have the flexibility to learn at your own pace and have access to a variety of educational resources and materials at your convenience.
Course Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of phonics’ terms, definitions, and concepts
- Develop a working knowledge of the nine areas of learning for phonics, spelling and word study including: early literacy concepts, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, letter-sound relationships, spelling patterns, high frequency words, word meaning/vocabulary, word structure, and word-solving actions
- Analyze a continuum of complexity of what students need to know about letters, words, and how they work across grades PreK-8
- Examine how vocabulary development, English language syntax, and pragmatic knowledge impact learning to read and write for students whose primary language is not English
- Discuss important principles of effective phonics instruction drawn from a wide-body of educational research
You can take this course for non-credit and earn 24 professional development hours, or you can take it for 1 graduate credit.
Required Texts
You are responsible for purchasing/having access to the following professional text for this course:
- Pinnell, G.S., & Fountas, I.C. (2017). The comprehensive phonics, spelling, and word study guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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