Dyslexia in the Upper Elementary Grades

Learners will access this online, asynchronous course through the Talent Development Manager (TDM) of Blackboard, TN Center for Dyslexia’s learning management system. Learners new to the system will create a user profile by clicking on "Sign Up" in the left side menu of the TDM home screen.

Once payment has been received, learners will receive a confirmation email containing an access code. This access code will be needed to enroll in the course. 

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ATTENTION: For the fall 2026 enrollment period, paid registrants will first complete two online pre-course surveys and one assessment. This pre-course work will take approximately 45 minutes to complete and must be completed by 11:59pm Central Time on Sunday, September 27, 2026 to join one of two fall cohorts.

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Paid registrants who have completed the pre-course work by Sunday, September 27 will be randomly assigned to one of two cohorts:

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• Learners in Cohort 1 will have access to the course beginning Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The course must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, November 30, 2026.

• Learners in Cohort 2 will have access to the course beginning Tuesday, December 1, 2026. The course must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, February 15, 2027.

Anyone who has not completed the pre-course work by Sunday, September 27, 2026 will be unable to begin the course with a fall cohort. Registration will be deferred to February 2027.

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The course includes six modules:

Module 1: Screening for Dyslexia in the Upper Elementary Grades 
Instructor: Erin Alexander, Ed.S., NASP, CALT

Module 2: Reading Multisyllable Words
Instructor: Melinda Hirschmann, Ed.D., CALT

Module 3: Spelling Multisyllable Words
Instructor: Melinda Hirschmann, Ed.D., CALT

Module 4: Reading Fluency
Instructor: Melinda Hirschmann, Ed.D., CALT

Module 5: Vocabulary and Comprehension
Instructor: Jennifer Stewart, Ph.D.

Module 6: Written Expression 
Instructor: Melinda Hirschmann, Ed.D., CALT

Each module has two sections: one section of knowledge-building, followed by a section in which you will learn strategies for intensifying structured literacy instruction for students in the upper elementary grades who are struggling with their reading and writing development. At the end of each section, you will complete a brief activity to check your learning of the content covered in that section. Each of the six modules also offers several recommendations for optional resources to help you continue your learning on the module topic.

At the end of each module, learners will take a 10-question, multiple-choice quiz, which assesses their understanding of topics covered throughout all sections in that module. Learners have three attempts to score 80% or better on each quiz. Once the learner has progressed through all 12 sections and earned a passing grade (80%+) on all six module quizzes, a certificate of completion for eight hours of professional development will be automatically generated in TDM. The learner will be able to view and download the certificate from the "Achievements" tab in their TDM Dashboard.