Online Language & Literacy Academy


Literacy Isn’t
One Size Fits All.
Neither is Language.

OL&LA is the only professional learning course that helps educators make Structured Literacy work for every learner by deepening their understanding of how language shapes reading development.

OL&LA personalizes literacy professional learning by integrating evidence-based reading instruction, second-language acquisition research, and CORE’s nationally acclaimed Teaching Reading Sourcebook.

This comprehensive approach to Structured Literacy ensures educators have the knowledge and skills to deliver evidence-based instruction to every learner, including Multilingual Learners, English variety speakers, students with dyslexia, and more.

 

Built for educators working with students who bring a range of language backgrounds, learning profiles, and reading needs.
What OL&LA Equips Educators to Do:
  • Instruction that reaches every learner: Educators learn to deliver standards-aligned, evidence-based reading instruction for all students, including Multilingual Learners, English variety speakers, and students with dyslexia.

  • A clear connection between research and practice: OL&LA helps educators articulate the research behind comprehensive reading instruction and apply it directly to daily teaching.

  • Data-informed decision-making: Educators learn to use informal diagnostic measures—including phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—to guide and adjust instruction.

How OL&LA Makes It Happen:
  • Comprehensive research-driven content: Each module follows a clear scope and sequence grounded in second-language acquisition and literacy research, with readings from CORE’s Teaching Reading Sourcebook to build knowledge and strengthen practice.
  • AI-powered practice and feedback: Interactive simulations allow educators to apply evidence-based instruction in realistic scenarios, strengthening skills and accelerating professional growth.

  • Classroom-ready instructional tools: Practical routines and supports designed for linguistically diverse settings help educators deliver evidence-based instruction with clarity and confidence

Get a closer look at what makes OL&LA different.

OL&LA MODULES

A Closer Look at OL&LA

Each module helps educators apply Structured Literacy through a clearer understanding of how language and reading development work together. The content is grounded in evidence-based reading research and second-language acquisition, with a focus on real classroom application.


Module 1: Welcome

Module 2: Big Picture: Spoken Language, Reading, and Word Structure

Module 3: Effective Instruction: Language and Early Literacy

Module 4: Phonics, Decoding, and Irregular Words

Module 5: Multisyllabic Words, Spelling, and Fluency

Module 6: Vocabulary: Spoken and Written Language

Module 7: Syntax: The Structure of Language and Writing

Module 8: Comprehension: Language and Reading

Module 9: Assessing Reading

Get in Touch

Get the answers you need to support educators with lasting, language-informed Structured Literacy professional learning

This course is for individuals or teams of educators who want to learn effective standards-aligned and scientifically research-based reading practices for all learners. Participants will need regular access to computers with an internet connection and proficiency with email and current internet browsers.

  • K–6 teachers
  • Special education teachers (K–12)
  • Reading specialists (K–12)
  • Paraprofessionals
  • Preservice teachers or classes

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the five essential components of evidence-based reading instruction.
  • Identify the best practices and explicit methods to develop phonemic awareness, phonics and irregular and multisyllabic word knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and literary and informational text knowledge.
  • Understand the factors that contribute to and affect reading comprehension, including the influence of oral language development.
  • Identify and use techniques to support oral and academic language development for linguistically diverse students, including Multilingual Learners, English variety speakers, and students with dyslexia.
  • Explore the structure of English and other language systems, including Spanish.
  • Understand the definition of dyslexia, common warning signs by grade level, and evidence-based instructional practices and accommodations to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia.
  • Learn how to use informal diagnostic measures of phonological awareness, decoding, fluency vocabulary, and comprehension as a basis for instructional decisions.

OL&LA is available in several format options to meet your preferred learning style and schedule, including:

  • Fully asynchronous, self-paced
  • Asynchronous cohort with three CORE facilitator-led virtual live sessions
  • Asynchronous cohort led by in-district facilitators who have completed the OL&LA Cohort Leader (OCL) Certification course.

Please contact us for pricing.

Participants may receive three (3) semester graduate-level continuing education units through the Dominican University of California Continuing Education Department for an additional cost of $345. These units are typically used for salary advancement. There are no additional requirements beyond successful completion of the course. Participants may register and pay for these units once the course has started.

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