From Literacy Knowledge to Implementation

Practicum

The Practicum provides one year of literacy coaching support for educators who:

  • have completed an introductory course in the science of reading and 

  • are ready to transform their foundational literacy skills teaching practice

Move from literacy theory to practice with full support

You’ve learned about the science of reading and foundational literacy. Now it’s time to put your new knowledge into practice.

But you’re wondering where to begin.

  • What instructional materials should you use? 

  • What routines should you build? 

  • What happens when you encounter an unexpected situation with a student? 

Where do you turn for help? 

You don’t have to do it alone. And you’re not meant to. 

Learn from and with educators just like you, and move from theory to implementation in a supportive setting. 

Join our Practicum, a small group cohort led by an expert practitioner in evidence-based literacy.

 

Hands-on literacy practice
and skill-building

The Practicum Provides Ongoing Support and Feedback as You Learn to:

  • Analyze diagnostic literacy assessments

  • Form foundational literacy instructional goals for your students

  • Select and use evidence-based instructional materials

  • Design and deliver 55+ lessons tailored to your student’s exact needs

As an added bonus, the 6-person Practicum cohort amplifies your own skill-building and learning, giving you more insights than you could ever achieve alone. 

Each cohort is led by a highly experienced current teacher, who has walked in your shoes and experienced their own literacy transformation journey. 

DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

WATCH STUDENTS BECOME READERS

GAIN CONFIDENCE

Coaches and Practitioners

Ideal for coaches and practitioners

If you work directly with students and have completed an introductory course in the science of reading, the Practicum is your next step. 

Participants are typically 

  • Practitioners: educators who work directly with students

  • Coaches: educators who support practitioners

Practitioners include:

  • K-6 classroom teachers

  • Reading specialists

  • MLL specialists

  • Special educators

  • Tutors

  • Paraprofessionals & teacher assistants

  • K-12 interventionists (including classroom teachers, special education teachers, MLL teachers, and teaching assistants)

  • Deans

  • Literacy coaches 

  • Instructional coaches

Practicum Eligibility

Educators can enroll in a Practicum once they have completed any one of the following: 

  • Section 1 of the Roots of Literacy training

  • Science of reading training with another vendor

  • Graduate courses in reading/literacy

Successful completion of a foundational course is required for all participants in a Practicum. 

Haven’t completed a science of reading course? 

If you haven’t completed a science of reading course yet, we’ve got you covered! 

Our Roots of Literacy training will provide you with all the knowledge you need. Combine it with the Practicum and save 10%. Scroll down to learn more!

 
 

Investment

The Practicum is $2,800 per person

 ($2,500 + $300 of instructional materials),
which covers your participation for an entire year. 

 

Is your budget tight right now? 

  • Rhode Island residents who complete our Practicum with a RITES student receive an $1,100 scholarship. Click here to learn more. 

SAVE A BUNDLE! Save $500 (10% off) when you purchase the Roots of Literacy training together with the Practicum for a total of $4,800.

 
 

Testimonials

  • “I cannot emphasize enough how much the practicum helped me. I became hyper-aware of nuances in teaching and learning this material, became super-familiar with scope and sequence of instruction, and watched first-hand how teaching this material--watching a student learn to read--can impact a student's life.”

    -CHRISTIN GOFF
    Literacy Tutor

  • Testimonial by Gerri Lallo Reading Specialist

    “RLD provides a tremendous amount of ready-to-go materials. They fill the gap for the non-reading specialist teacher who doesn't have a literacy background.”

    -GERRI LALLO
    Reading Specialist
    High School

  • Amy Goldblatt Testimonial

    “I started to see the results of test scores of how students spell and how they were reading. It has been amazing.”

    -AMY GOLDBLATT
    Classroom Teacher Grades 3 & 4

Sign me up!

Have more questions about the Practicum?

 
 

  • This is a one-year, virtual program that focuses on implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. 

    Each cohort is professionally facilitated and capped at 10 participants to provide an optimal learning experience. 

  • The Practicum is for Practitioners and Coaches who are ready to implement their new literacy practices with their students under the guidance of an RLD expert. 

    Requirement: Before entering the Practicum, Practitioners and Coaches are required to successfully complete Section 1 of RLD’s Roots of Literacy training OR science of reading training with another vendor (e.g., CORE, LETRS, Orton-Gillingham). 

  • You will learn how to: 

    • Administer & analyze literacy assessments

    • Form instructional goals for your student(s)

    • Design/deliver lessons to build students’ word recognition & spelling

    You will be able to deliver these new literacy practices to an individual student, small group of students, or a whole class of students in any tier. The Practicum provides professional support as you implement these new practices. 

  • Educators deliver a minimum of 55 structured literacy lessons over the course of the year (at least two, 45 - 60 minute lessons per week).

  • The Practicum is a virtual experience that occurs over 12 Saturdays throughout the year. The entire cohort meets from 9am-10:30am each Saturday. Additionally, each educator meets with their RLD Teacher in Literacy expert for 30 minutes each Saturday for one to one individualized support. In total, each educator receives 24 hours of direct support.  

    Schedules are released in January of each year.

  • Our Teachers in Literacy lead the Roots of Literacy training and Practicum. They are current teachers who have taken the journey from whole language to the science of reading themselves and deliver literacy instruction daily. Learn more about our Teachers in Literacy here.