Reading - Foundational Skills: Introduction

This self-paced course was updated in spring of 2023.  It is a prerequisite introduction for a pathway of courses on the Reading Foundational Skills. Through this pathway, participants will develop an understanding of the foundational reading skills in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), how these standards connect to the Science of Reading, and what instruction of each the following foundational skills should entail: print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency.  NOTE:  This course does not fulfill the Right to Read professional learning mandate.  Learning objectives include:

  • Become familiar with reading research (the Science of Reading).
  • Clarify common misconceptions around Foundational Skills within the Common Core State Standards.
  • Analyze the Common Core State Standards Foundational Skill progression to illustrate its connection with the Science of Reading in order to move into a deeper exploration of each component (i.e., print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency) in future pathway courses.
  • Illustrate how various staff roles can support students' reading development.


Intended Audiences

K - 12 Educators, Related Service Providers, Administrators, Coaches, Paraprofessionals

Course Type

Self-Paced

Recommended # of PLUs

2 PLUs







Course Contact: Nicole Bucka