Aim Steps to Literacy I for Maine Educators

This micro-credential is for Maine Educators who completed all 3 modules of the AIM Steps to Literacy I, Overview Course, Decoding and Spelling Course and Phonological Awareness course.

Overview Course: This AIM Pathways module contains content specific to the "science of reading". This term refers to the research that cognitive scientists, literacy researchers, and expert practitioners have conducted on how individuals learn to read. This body of knowledge has been building for decades and has helped to debunk methods of reading instruction that are based on misguided philosophies and observation, rather than evidence.

Decoding and Spelling Course: This AIM Pathways module explores the research and instructional practices related to Decoding and Spelling. Phonics and spelling instruction are essential components of any comprehensive literacy program. Teaching students to decode and encode requires not only a systematic scope and sequence but also explicit instructional practices that engage students and provide multiple opportunities to practice tasks until students can complete them at a high criterion level of performance.

Phonological Awareness Course: This AIM Pathways module explores the research and instructional practices related to Phonological Awareness. This meta-cognitive skill is defined as one's ability to attend to, discriminate, remember , and manipulate the sound structures of language. Phonological awareness, most specifically phonemic awareness, is an essential skill that underlies a student's ability to learn to read and spell.
Competencies are based on the Knowledge and Practice Standards of Teachers of Reading

1.3 Understand and explain aspects of cognition and behavior that affect reading and writing.

1.7 Understand the differences (linguistic, cognitive and neurobiological) between good and poor readers

1.8 Know phases in developmental progression of oral language, phoneme awareness, decoding skills, printed word recognition, spelling, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and written expression.