Course Description: This 3-hour graduate course is designed for early childhood and primary educators who want to learn more about the components of a balanced literacy program for emergent, beginning, and early instructional level readers. Participants will learn how to administer and interpret several early literacy assessments. Instructional topics will include how to incorporate phonological awareness, phonics, and reading lessons into a balanced language arts program. Assignments will provide teachers the opportunity to develop a set of instructional materials, as well as the chance to try out several techniques in the classroom.