The REEL Department - Reading, Elementary Education, Library Information and Media Studies consists of three programs.

The department serves undergraduate and graduate students. Each program within the department supports the College of Education's mission of preparing competent and knowledgeable personnel who are dedicated to serving the educational needs of students of varying abilities and backgrounds and responsible participants in the quest for the improvement of the nation's schools and the teaching profession. Within the context of the College of Education's mission, the objective of the Elementary Education program is to prepare teachers to effectively and proficiently teach all children. Specific to each graduate program, candidates are trained in the following specialty areas: The Graduate Reading program prepares students in becoming trained reading clinicians with the ability to diagnose and remediate reading difficulties and to plan and improve reading instruction based on evaluation and professional development. The Library Information and Media Studies program prepares students in becoming knowledgeable school library media specialists who are skillful at using instructional ideas to organize and manage school library media centers and other types of libraries. Candidates are also trained to design and implement educational applications that reflect a wide variety of instructional technologies and assessment strategies.

Degrees Offered

The Elementary Education program offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level - the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education for undergraduates and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for graduate students whose baccalaureate degree is in a field other than education. In addition, graduate students, whose baccalaureate degree is in a field other than education, have the option of following the certification track. Graduate students, who choose the certification track, follow the same program as undergraduate students; the methods courses they take are at the graduate level.

The Graduate Reading program offers the Master of Science in Education in the Teaching of Reading, and the Library Science program offers the Master of Science in Education in Library Information and Media Studies.

Substantive Specialization

The department recommends eight areas of concentration for Elementary Education undergraduate majors. The areas of concentration are: Computer Science, English and Language Arts, General Science, Literacy and Reading, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Spanish. Beginning Fall 2002, candidates now have the option of choosing an 18-hour concentration in the middle school.