Fairfield University Reading and Language Program Receives Dyslexia Instruction Accreditation | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (June 8, 2016) Fairfield University is among nine universities nationwide to receive accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and its affiliate, the Center for Effective Reading Instruction.

The Reading and Language Development Program (6 ^th year certificate)—Fairfield University Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), received accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) for having met the standards outlined in IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

Fairfield’s Sixth Year Professional Certificate in Reading and Language Development is offered to individuals who have received their master’s in education degree. The 36-credit program provides advanced training for practicing general and special educators and coursework in scientifically-based reading, writing and spelling instruction, intervention and remediation practices. Candidates are prepared to meet the diverse literacy needs of K-12 students.

"We are very excited about this national recognition from IDA,” said Robert Hannafin, PhD, Dean of GSEAP. “Elementary teachers and even reading specialists are not prepared with the tools and training to diagnose and intervene with children with dyslexia; this program addresses that. We are committed to helping all students read and particularly struggling readers."

The IDA Standards provide a framework for course content in university and other teacher preparation programs, offering research-supported documentation of what teachers ought to know and be able to demonstrate when teaching dyslexic students. The standards also apply to the teaching of other struggling readers or the general student population.

"We are delighted to see increasing numbers of programs demonstrating an interest in seeking IDA accreditation,” said Louise Spear-Swerling, Ph.D., the Vice President of the Board of Directors and Area Coordinator for the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) - an affiliate of the IDA. “Effective teachers can make an enormous difference in children's literacy outcomes.”

GSEAP strives to provide an advanced education for the advancement of others through 18 specialized graduate programs. Programs are offered in areas such as applied psychology, counseling, elementary and secondary education, reading and language development, marriage & family therapy, as well as others.

More information about Fairfield’s Graduate School for Education and Allied Professions can be found at:

https://www.fairfield.edu/academics/schoolscollegescenters/graduateschoolofeducationalliedprofessions/ .

#Vol. 48, No. 142

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.