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Flexible enrollment options

• For more information about Early Literacy Endorsement, please review IDOE’s FAQ document here.
• For more information about Keys to Literacy’s professional development options, and certificates, please see this FAQ.
• To learn more about the new options, please review this IDOE memo here.

Registration will open on Wednesday, July 1, for eligible Indiana educators to enroll in free Keys to Literacy coursework. Click here to register. This opportunity is fully sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and is available at no cost to eligible participants.

Contact Keys to Literacy with any questions regarding your online course access. For help accessing your course, please see this document for directions and FAQs for accessing coursework.

About the Professional Development

Components

This Early Literacy Endorsement training offering includes two core components. Educators may choose to take either or both components. 

Component I: Keys to Literacy Asynchronous Online Courses (55 Hours Total) 

All participants enroll in Keys to Beginning Reading, a 40-hour foundational course in the science of reading. Participants also choose one 15-hour course, either Keys to Early Writing (PK-2) or Keys to Content Writing (grades 3 and up), to learn research-based instructional practices for teaching writing.

Component II: HQCM Live Session and Independent Course with Implementation Project (25 Hours Total)

This professional learning experience combines a 3-hour live virtual session (via Zoom) with a 22-hour independent course and implementation project focused on High-Quality Curricular Materials (HQCM). The live session connects foundational knowledge to classroom implementation, while the independent course covers HQCM evaluation, professional learning protocols, and evidence-based literacy implementation through adopted materials.

The culminating experience is a structured Implementation Project, in which participants apply course learning to classroom practice. This includes recording and submitting a 6–10 minute lesson segment using your district’s HQCM, demonstrating skills in unit unpacking, lesson internalization, intentional instructional delivery, and data-informed practice.

Component I  

Asynchronous Online Courses:

• 40-Hour Keys to Beginning Reading
  • 20 hours Word Recognition
  • 20 hours Language Comprehension

               AND

• 15-Hour Writing Course

              Keys to Early Writing Grades PK-2 OR 

              Keys to Content Writing Grades 3-5

• 10 hours Language Comprehension

PLUS

Component II 

25-Hour HQCM Component 

• 3-Hour Live Session via Zoom  AND
• 22-Hour Course and Capstone Implementation Project: Recorded Classroom Lesson Segment
  • 5 hours Word Recognition
  • 5 hours Language Comprehension

What is Passage Prep? Free, Optional Licensure Exam Preparation 

NEW! We are pleased to offer all IDOE-approved participants enrollment in the Passage Prep Teaching Reading: Elementary (5205) preparation course as an optional component to support learning and help prepare for the Praxis exam.

Enrollees will follow a clear, exam-aligned study pathway focused on the domains assessed on the licensure test. Through evidence-based literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading, unlimited practice opportunities, and immediate performance feedback, educators build both test readiness and instructional confidence while targeting areas for growth and reducing test anxiety.

Eligibility

IDOE Early Literacy Endorsement PD is available to Indiana educators who hold a current professional license AND teach in a content area that involves literacy instruction for PK-5 students:

• Early Childhood (Pre-K-3);
• Early Childhood Special Education (Pre-K-3);
• Elementary Education/Generalist (1-6), (K-6);
• Elementary/Primary (K-3);
• Elementary/Intermediate (4-6); and
• Special Education (K-6), (1-6), (K-12), or (Pre-K-12)
• Administrators who hold the following licenses and are in a PK-5 building.

Space is limited

Availability

Course access will be available to eligible participants from July 1, 2026, through June 1, 2027. Coursework must be completed by June 1, 2027.  Please see this memo for details.

Registration

Please reference this IDOE FAQ document and the Keys to Literacy FAQ for answers to your frequently asked questions.