This section does not apply to any applicant for an educator license that is designed for persons specializing in teaching children in kindergarten through twelfth grade, or the equivalent, in the area of dance, drama, theater, music, visual arts, or physical education or a specialty area substantially equivalent to any of these when such applicant will be teaching children in the specialty area specified in the license.

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(A) As used in this section:

(1) “Coursework in the teaching of reading” means coursework that includes training in a range of instructional strategies for teaching reading, in the assessment of reading skills, and in the diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties;

(2) “Phonics” means the techniques and strategies used to teach children to match, blend, and translate letters of the alphabet into the sounds they represent, which techniques and strategies are systematically integrated and thoroughly practiced in a developmentally appropriate instructional program to assist the child in learning to read, write, and spell;

(3) “Course in the teaching of phonics” means a course providing the background necessary for effectively teaching and assessing phonics, phonemic awareness, and word recognition, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

(a) Phonological and morphological underpinnings of English spellings and the history thereof;

(b) The nature and role of word recognition in proficient reading;

(c) Methods and rationale for the instruction of phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, and the application thereof in reading and writing;

(d) Methods and rationale for the assessment of phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, and the application thereof in reading and writing;

(e) The relation of deficits in phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, and word recognition to reading disabilities;

(4) “Phonemic awareness” means the awareness of sounds that make up spoken words and the ability to use this awareness of sounds in reading.

(B) The rules adopted under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code shall require an applicant for a resident educator license designated for teaching children in grades kindergarten through six or the equivalent to have successfully completed at least six semester hours, or the equivalent, of coursework in the teaching of reading that includes at least one separate course of at least three semester hours, or the equivalent, in the teaching of phonics in the context of reading, writing, and spelling. In addition, such rules shall require that the subsequent issuance of a professional educator license be contingent upon the applicant having completed six additional semester hours or the equivalent of coursework in the teaching of reading. The rules shall permit an applicant to apply undergraduate coursework in order to meet this requirement for additional coursework.