Extended Practicum
The Comprehensive classes provide the foundation. The Extended Practicum helps educators transform that foundation into confident, effective instruction.
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Through individualized online or in-person coaching and supervised teaching, participants continue developing the skills needed to implement the Slingerland Approach successfully with their own students. Typically, an Extended Practicum follows a full school year.
Each practicum focuses on authentic instruction, allowing educators to refine techniques, strengthen lesson planning, respond to student needs, and build confidence through guided practice
What is an
Extended Practicum?
An Extended Practicum is an individualized professional learning experience for educators who have completed a Slingerland Comprehensive class and want additional support applying the Approach.
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Participants work one-on-one with a Certified Slingerland Instructor of Teachers while teaching a student or small group of students. The instructor observes the participant’s planning and instruction, provides targeted feedback, and helps the participant make thoughtful adjustments based on student performance.
The focus is practical.
Rather than simply learning about the Slingerland Approach, participants use it in real teaching situations and receive guidance as they plan, teach, reflect, and improve.
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With expert guidance, repeated practice, and feedback connected directly to student performance, participants can move beyond simply knowing the Slingerland Approach and toward using it with greater confidence, responsiveness, and skill.
Why would I take an Extended Practicum?
Learning a teaching approach takes time, practice, and feedback. An Extended Practicum gives educators dedicated support as they move from understanding Slingerland procedures to using them with greater confidence, consistency, and independence.
Participants may use the experience to:
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Strengthen lesson planning and organization
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Improve pacing and instructional delivery
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Refine the use of Slingerland techniques
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Respond more effectively to student strengths and needs
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Build confidence using the Approach in a classroom, small group, or tutoring setting
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Work through specific instructional challenges
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Prepare for more advanced training or certification requirements
Because the coaching is individualized, the practicum can focus on the areas that will make the greatest difference in each participant’s teaching.
Who is this for?
Extended Practicum classes are designed for educators who have completed the required Slingerland Comprehensive training and want to continue developing their practice.
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They may be especially valuable for:
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Classroom teachers implementing the Slingerland Approach
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Reading specialists and interventionists
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Special education teachers
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Tutors working one-on-one or with small groups
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Educators returning to the Approach after time away
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Participants seeking additional coached practice
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Educators working toward advanced Slingerland training or certification
What to Expect
The Extended Practicum offers something that traditional professional development often cannot: sustained attention to an educator’s actual teaching.
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During an Extended Practicum, participants will:
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Plan Slingerland lessons for the student or students they teach
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Submit plans for instructor review
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Teach lessons using the Slingerland Approach
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Receive observation, feedback, and coaching
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Reflect on student performance
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Adjust future instruction based on that performance
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Strengthen their ability to make independent instructional decisions
A Personalized Path for Professional Growth
Every teacher brings different strengths, questions, and experiences to the practicum. Every student also brings a different pattern of literacy skills and instructional needs.
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The one-on-one format allows the instructor and participant to focus closely on both. Coaching may address lesson design, student response, differentiation, instructional language, pacing, materials, assessment, or any other area affecting successful implementation.
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The result is professional learning that is directly connected to the participant’s daily teaching.
Observation Options
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Online
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In-Person (as available)
Extended Practicum Elements
Each Extended Practicum extends over nine months. Components of the Extended Practicum include:
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Submission of 60 hours of lesson plans
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Five observations of complete Slingerland lesson plans
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Five debrief and goal-setting meetings
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Ongoing communication and support from your coach
Students in Extended Practicum
Extended Practicum works best when educators work with the same students over time. This allows for growth of the educator with the Approach and the students with their content.
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Observations may be of the same student(s) or different students over time
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Educators provide their own students (whole class, small group, or one-on-one tutoring)
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Tutors seeking students may contact the Front Office for additional information and support
Extended Practicum Prerequisites
Extended Practicum classes are designed to expand and refine the skills learned in the Slingerland Comprehensive classes. Participants should complete the corresponding Comprehensive class before enrolling.
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Introductory Extended Practicum — Completion of the Introductory Comprehensive is required.
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Continuum Extended Practicum — Completion of the Continuum Comprehensive is required.​
Each practicum builds directly on the instructional techniques, lesson planning, and teaching practices introduced in its prerequisite course, allowing participants to deepen their understanding through individualized coaching and guided practice.
Non-discrimination Policy: Slingerland® Institute for Literacy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and other programs.