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Academic Programs

Teaching Literacy and Childhood General Education Dual Certification

M.S.Ed

  • Program Overview

    The Teaching Literacy and Childhood General Education degree prepares you to teach as a classroom teacher with strong preparation in language arts and as a literacy specialist.

    Our Reading and Literacy programs are designed to prepare you to understand that literacy is a set of dynamic, inter-related, and socio-cultural processes that include speaking, listening, reading, writing, and viewing. Using the core understanding that children’s literacy learning is shaped by the values, beliefs, and experiences acquired at home, school, and in their communities, you will learn to design curriculum and instruction that is responsive to the children you teach.

    The Teaching Literacy & Childhood General Education degree prepares you to obtain two New York State certifications and is for students who do not have certification in early childhood education or elementary education.

    This program culminates in a Master of Science in Education and requires 52-55 credits.

    Graduate student reading with a child

  • Admissions Requirements

    In addition to the main admissions criteria, there are additional requirements needed to apply for this program:

  • Coursework

    View the coursework for this program.

  • Supervised Fieldwork/Advisement

    Supervised fieldwork/advisement lies at the heart of a Bank Street education. Through sustained experiences in the field, supervision from core faculty, and close collaboration with peers, our graduate students develop the ability to connect theory to practice and to reflect deeply on their own growth as educators. In this program:

    • You can work as a full-time assistant or head teacher in a classroom (grades 1-6) with an additional summer clinical placement [55 credit option] OR as a student teacher in three consecutive placements in classroom and clinical settings four days per week [52 credit option].
    • You will learn from an experienced educator—your advisor—who individualizes your fieldwork throughout the school year.
    • You will participate in a weekly conference group with your advisor and 5-7 other students in which you will collaboratively deepen your learning about teaching and learning.

  • Career Opportunities

    Your degree will provide you with a range of career opportunities:

    • You can teach in elementary school classrooms in grades 1-6 in public, charter, or independent schools.
    • You can teach as a reading specialist in public, charter, or independent schools.
    • Graduates who choose to teach outside of New York State can usually arrange for reciprocity for teaching certification in their new location.

    Two students working together on a worksheet

  • Faculty

A commitment to social justice runs through all of our course work. In every class, we discuss how socioeconomic status, race, gender, ability, and other identifiers impact children’s learning at home and in the classroom. We unpack the power dynamics in the classroom and learn that teachers must do diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work on themselves so as not to perpetuate oppression in our classrooms.
Elizabeth Malone, Current Student, Teaching Literacy and Childhood General Education Dual Certification Program
The literacy program has given me a leg-up in the classroom. It has enabled me to look at curriculum and its impact on my students through a different lens. I repeatedly turn to the faculty for advice and . . . I know I will continue to reach out to them for their perspective and input.
Lindsay Wagner, GSE ’18
Teacher reading with a student

Meet Our Alumni

  • Xiania Foster, an alumnus of Reading & Literacy, is a literacy staff developer for the organization, Teaching Matters. This article features her work with teachers to help them improve reading instruction. Read more >>
  • Clio Stearn, an alumnus of Reading & Literacy, has published a critical analysis of current approaches to socio-emotional learning in American schools. Read more >>

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