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Offered in Partnership with CORE Learning

OL&LA: Online Language & Literacy Academy

Professional Learning in Structured Literacy, Tailored for Language Diverse Classrooms

OL&LA (Online Language & Literacy Academy) is an asynchronous online course that gives today’s educators the tools they need to unlock the full potential of every student.

OL&LA personalizes professional learning for literacy by integrating evidence-based reading instruction, second-language acquisition, and CORE’s nationally acclaimed Teaching Reading Sourcebook. This Structured Literacy course is specifically tailored for educators in language-diverse classrooms that include Multilingual Learners, English variety speakers, and students with dyslexia.

OL&LA Outcomes

OL&LA is designed to help educators meet the needs of all learners, with a special focus on Multilingual Learners.

The course equips educators with the skills to:

  • Deliver standards-aligned and evidence-based reading instruction
  • Articulate the research on reading instruction and link research to practice
  • Identify and use techniques to support academic language development for Multilingual Learners
  • Understand how to use informal diagnostic measures of phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension as a basis for instructional decisions

Get in Touch

Collaborative Classroom is proud to be the exclusive partner of CORE Learning to promote OL&LA. Contact your Collaborative Classroom representative to learn more.

“This course was incredibly informative and extremely powerful in terms of providing me with the knowledge to directly impact student learning. The process of reading is so complex; as educators it is critical that we have a thorough understanding of its components, the relationship between them, as well as effective ways to assess progress gaps and instructional effectiveness.”

–Kindergarten Teacher, Kennewick School District, Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is OL&LA for?

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

When is OL&LA available?

Cohorts will begin in March 2024. This course is intended for all K-6 educators and 7-12 reading specialists. 

How long does OL&LA take?

Although OL&LA can be modified to fit your school or district’s needs, we suggest an 18-week course with two weeks per module (9 modules total).

We do not recommend more than one module per week, or any longer than 4 weeks per module.

What is the course design, and what topics are covered?

OL&LA consists of nine virtual modules, including three live sessions. Live sessions are facilitated by experienced and knowledgeable CORE consultants who reinforce content learned in the modules through consultant instruction, modeling, and providing opportunities to clarify questions.

Each module is rooted in principles of Structured Literacy, focusing on the practical application of evidence-based reading research for students with diverse language backgrounds like Multilingual Learners, English language variety speakers, and students with dyslexia.

Module Topics:

  • 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

How many participants are in a cohort?

To run a district-specific cohort, there is a minimum of 15 participants. If your participant count is more than 30, CORE may divide them into multiple cohorts.

What materials are included?

Each participant receives two books, the CORE Teaching Reading Sourcebook and CORE Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures.

Materials contain user-friendly text, explicit instructional models, interactive activities for the reader, and opportunities to review and interpret content.

What must participants do to complete OL&LA and receive a certificate of completion?

All participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion that notes 45 hours of professional learning. To receive a certificate participants must complete a course portfolio and pass all end-of-module tests with 80% or higher.

Can OL&LA participants receive college credit?

Graduate-level continuing education semester units are offered through the Dominican University of California, Continuing Education department. This course is worth three (3) units of credit and costs $327 total, paid directly to the university. These units are typically used for salary advancement. The OL&LA course facilitator will provide you with registration instructions.

Dominican University of California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) but please check with your school or district to confirm they accept these units.

What technology do participants need? 

This is a fully online course. OL&LA participants must have regular access to computers with an Internet connection and be proficient with email and current Internet browsers.