How to Become a Reading Specialist – The A,B,C’s of this Career

A reading specialist is a professional who works primarily with young children who face difficulties with reading. These early challenges can impact their success in high school, adult, and college life. Reading specialists know the various methods of teaching reading for comprehension in a fun, engaging, and fulfilling manner. This guide looks into reading specialist degrees, certification, job outlook, how to become a reading specialist, and much more to accurately describe what it is like to join this field.

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Article Navigation: Who Is A Reading Specialist? | What Do Reading Specialists Do? | Essential Skills | Types of Reading Specialists | Reasons to Pursue This Career | What Is The Difference Between Reading Specialists and: | How to Become a Reading Specialist – Step by Step Guide | Education Requirements | Licenses & Certifications | How To Get A Reading Specialist Certification | Job Outlook | Professional Organizations, Associations, & Resources | FAQs | Start Today!

Who Is A Reading Specialist?

A reading specialist’s fundamental obligation is to work in small groups or one-on-one settings with students. They focus specifically on students facing difficulties in reading at their particular grade level. It is common for reading specialists to work in grades K-6, but they may also work with older students and adults. Reading specialists employed in certain school districts also counsel teachers on the methods of evaluating and improving reading curricula and teaching reading.

They split responsibility with teachers in assessing a student’s reading abilities. For example, they devise reading strategies and intervention plans for students signaled out for additional reading instruction. They also root out deficiencies in their practice. Reading intervention is the process that occurs after it’s identified that a student is at high risk of reading failure. Similarly, the approach a school or institute adopts to help such a student is known as “response to intervention” or RTI, and reading specialists play a primary role in it.

For some students, a reading specialist may assist and assess the reading skills of English as a second language (ESL) students or those who suffer from learning disabilities. These professionals also hold the authority to enhance reading instruction in particular schools, institutions, or reading districts by making recommendations. To perform all of the responsibilities mentioned above, reading specialists are generally experts in the following domains:

• Spelling
• Vocabulary
• Word Decoding
• Print Awareness
• Language Comprehension
• Reading Comprehension
• Relationship between letter patterns, letters, and corresponding sounds

Reading specialists can also help non-specialist teachers by offering instruction on how to provide education consistent with research, including:

• Modeling literacy-rich classrooms and learning environments
• Promoting systematic and straightforward approaches to the teaching of reading
• Evaluation, identification, and monitoring of students at high risk of reading inability

What Do Reading Specialists Do?

Reading specialists are teachers with specialized education degrees and the necessary skills to work with students to improve literacy skills. These professionals may also collaborate with other teachers in a professional development capacity. A day in the life of a reading specialist includes various duties that help students who need support to improve their reading skills. Some of the typical reading specialist responsibilities include the following:

• Working one-on-one with students to practice and improve their work skills and reading comprehension
• Conducting small group lessons with students who exhibit similar needs
• Administering particular research-based literacy problems for students with dyslexia
• Working for Response to Intervention (RTI) needs by organizing small group or individual lessons
• Evaluating literacy curricula in collaboration with teachers to ensure the required support is offered
• Taking part in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 meetings for students who need extra literacy support
• Co-teaching with general education teachers and organizing small group lessons in the classroom

Let us look into the particular reading specialist positions and their particular job responsibilities:

Specialist

Reading specialists typically work with or as a part of the special education department at schools as resident experts for all literacy-related issues on campus. Students can avail personalized instruction and assistance from these professionals. However, these responsibilities may also be necessary for a specialist’s office, classroom, or academic resource center.

Interventionist

It is common for reading specialists to work with groups of students in a classroom during work time or take them out of class for particular reading-specific programs. This process allows students to enhance their literacy skills by using the materials other classroom students use. An interventionist looks into the small steps that can help students progress from their present literacy levels to higher levels that allow completing grade work without external assistance.

Coach

Highly trained literacy specialists work as coaches or mentors for other teachers. They are primarily responsible for sitting in a classroom to evaluate how teachers conduct reading and writing classes. They then debrief with the instructor based on their evaluation, share their observations, and make recommendations on ways and strategies that can help support students better.

Professional Developer

Experienced reading specialists can also host professional development sessions where they target data and information to the particular needs of an institution or school. The primary goal of these sessions is to drive student success and achievement through all grade levels or within a specific grade level.

Curriculum Reviewer

It is common for schools to adopt new curricula frequently to keep up with changing dynamics. This process can be rigorous, as textbook reviewing involves several district stakeholders. Reading specialists typically participate in curriculum committees, even in the case of subject areas not specific to literacy. Thorough analysis from a reader’s perspective ensures that the curriculum falls on par with the literacy habits of a school.

Essential Skills

Seamless Instruction

Since reading specialists supplement, assist, and extend classroom teaching, they must have adequate instruction skills. They must work collaboratively to apply a meaningful, research-based reading program that meets student needs.

Assessment Ability

These professionals must have a specialized and intricate knowledge of diagnosis and evaluation to devise, apply, and assess a literacy program. Quality assessment abilities also help transfer accurate information to parents, classroom teachers, and specialized personnel, including special educators, speech teachers, and psychologists.

Leadership Skills

Reading specialists must hold strong leadership skills as these skills act as a resource to parents, other educators, and the entire community.

Types of Reading Specialists

Elementary Reading Specialist

These professionals commonly work in elementary and grade schools, with varying roles within districts and schools. Elementary reading specialists generally work with struggling students in regular education classrooms instead of students in special education. Children in general education who read below their grade level may get help from a reading specialist, as they work directly with such children individually or in small groups. These professionals also train and supervise teachers’ aides and work with classroom teachers to devise strategies to help struggling students get better at reading.

Grade school reading specialists generally help students develop skills such as reading comprehension, fluency, and decoding (sounding out words). They may also put brakes on the student’s classroom curriculum. Such slowed-down supplemental instruction help foster crucial skills for students who require additional practice. Depending upon the student’s requirements, a grade school or elementary reading specialist can utilize a program not tied to the one practiced in the general classroom.

Reading Specialists in Middle School

Reading specialists in middle schools are not as common as grade or elementary reading specialists. A middle school may have just one reading specialist who teaches small groups of students with similar needs. In certain middle schools, reading specialists may collaborate with classroom teachers to co-teach struggling readers or help small student groups within a classroom.

Reading Specialists in High School

Most high schools do not have a reading specialist — however, those who do typically play a role similar to middle school reading specialists. High school specialists may emphasize helping students develop their skills to pass state tests necessary for graduation. These professionals may also work with classroom teachers to devise ways of meeting struggling students’ needs.

Reasons to Pursue This Career

Reading specialists are trained experts in bringing literacy curricula to individual students. They are qualified to offer assessments and conduct evaluations to determine the type of instruction and support that students require to become successful and fluent readers and writers. Teachers who understand the relationship between fluent reading and educational improvement can attain a reading specialist certification or pursue a reading specialist degree or education degree specializing in reading.

These professionals generally enjoy reading and thus work to relay that interest to students while assisting them in enjoying their readings. They can also find reading specialist jobs relatively easily and in a variety of settings, such as in:

• Schools
• The private sector as tutors and consultants
• Literacy-based nonprofit organizations
• Educational publishing companies

In addition, teachers who intend on upgrading their schooling can consider undertaking a reading specialist program. Most reading specialist certification focus on literacy aspects that enhance student academic achievements in domains that stretch beyond the foundational knowledge of knowledge, including but not limited to:

• Comprehension
• Phonics
• Assessment
• School leadership skills
• Educating diverse students and nonstandard English speakers
• Phonemes
• Instructional strategies
• Creating a supportive literacy environment

What Is The Difference Between Reading Specialists and:

Reading Teacher

Reading specialists and reading teachers have various overlapping job responsibilities. Both positions assist students in reading fluently, developing strong reading comprehension, and imparting knowledge about spelling, phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary memorization. However, reading specialists are professionals with specialized training in assisting struggling readers and are most commonly found in grade schools. Reading teachers, in contrast, work in public and private schools at all grade levels.

Literacy Specialist

There are a few differences between a literacy specialist and a reading specialist. Reading specialists are generally a resource for teachers as they devise new activities, work on curricula, and order required materials. They may also work directly with students and take them out of their classroom to instruct in a different setting. Literacy specialists, in contrast, generally work more hands-on in the classroom by evaluating and observing teachers, creating lessons, and recommending improvements. They may also collaborate to enhance literacy for a school’s entire grade and lead and supervise staff development. However, the qualification requirements for both of these positions are pretty similar, often including a master's degree in literacy.

Reading Interventionist

Reading interventionists – also sometimes known as literacy specialists or reading specialists – are instructional specialists but are not tutors. Their job responsibilities do not simply include reviewing or supporting what a teacher covers in the classroom but also designing interventions and devising lesson plans. Reading interventionists must also remodel instructions if the evaluations hint at minimal or zero progress. They are also accountable for student mastery and improvement of particular targeted skills, which is not the case for reading specialists.

Dyslexia Specialist

Dyslexia specialists, also known as Certified Structured Literacy Specialists, differ from reading specialists in job responsibilities. These professionals offer targeted reading support and instruction to small groups or individual students with complicated reading and writing profiles. They complete extensive supervised practicum experiences emphasizing advancing literacy profiles of students with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Unlike reading specialists, they assist students at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of spelling, reading, and writing instruction.

Leveled Literacy Interventionist

Leveled Literacy Interventionists are a part of a supplementary, short-term, and small group literacy intervention and assist struggling readers in attaining grade-level competency. They offer explicit and detailed instruction in various intricate domains, including:

• Reading comprehension
• Phonological awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Oral language skills
• Writing

How to Become a Reading Specialist – Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete a Teacher Preparation Program

The most common path to becoming a reading specialist is starting with a bachelor’s degree in education. However, those with a bachelor’s degree in another domain may still be eligible to work as a teacher. They must complete a teacher preparation program or their state’s alternative licensing process. Bachelor’s degree programs in education generally emphasize the particular grade level one wishes to teach. They also include core courses in curriculum development, education principles, and general education topics, including English, science, and mathematics.

Step 2: Pass The State Teacher Certification Tests And Apply For Your Teaching License

All states require aspirants to pass state teacher certification tests and attain a teaching license to teach at a public school. Certain private schools may not necessitate licensing. Requirements for a teacher license may vary from state to state but generally include:

• Holding a bachelor’s degree
• Having hands-on teaching experience
• Passing a criminal background check
• Passing certain examinations

Licenses for reading specialists may include additional testing and education requirements, depending upon the state.

Step 3: Pursue a Teaching Job As a Classroom Teacher

Most employment positions for classroom teachers are available through local school districts. Aspirants can apply with the particular district’s board of education. However, private schools may have a different application and selection process. Aspirants can also find employment in private education organizations.

Step 4: Attain An Advanced Degree In Reading Teacher Education

Most reading specialist positions require a master’s degree in reading teacher education or completion of a reading specialist certificate program. Programs such as Master of Education in Reading and Language Arts and Master of Education in Reading Education generally include professional development, literacy education, and linguistics and multicultural studies. Particular master’s degree programs are available. The Master in Reading Specialist salary is also higher than those without this credential.

Step 5: Meet State Requirements For Passing Licensing Test For Reading Specialists

Certain states require K-12 reading specialists to hold either an endorsement or a certification. The process for obtaining these generally involves attaining a master’s degree in education with a specialization in reading, along with two years of practical experience as a licensed teacher and passing a state-sponsored reading specialist examination.

Step 6: Add Reading Specialist Certificate To Teaching License And Apply For Reading Specialist Job

Adding reading specialist certification to a teaching license results in an advisable reading specialist credential adequate to apply for jobs in this field.

Education Requirements

Reading Specialist Degree/Reading Specialist Programs

Reading specialist programs focus on imparting specialized reading skills that enable individuals to work with students facing difficulties in reading one-on-one or in small groups. Since the day in the life of a reading specialist focuses on helping and evaluating students with their reading difficulties, reading specialist programs offer courses that strengthen their potential to root out deficiencies and devise intervention plans to help students in need. Such programs offer courses to foster participant capacity and reading instruction pertinent to the reading process. The general courses include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reading and Writing Content
• Foundations of Literacy
• Reading Specialist Practicum
• Content Area Instruction
• Reading Specialist Roles
• Literacy Assessment
• Children’s Literature
• Research Methodology

These courses ensure that these professionals become experts in reading instruction and are dependable in improving reading achievement in schools and districts. The primary responsibilities of these professionals include coaching, teaching, supervising, and leading school-wide reading programs and co-teaching. Thus, these programs serve as an extensive resource in reading, writing, and supporting teachers, students, and community members.

They also collaborate with professionals in their district to practically apply reading programs for struggling readers and advocate for such students. Thus, they can utilize the knowledge they attain from their advanced education.

Licenses & Certifications

Reading specialist certification is also known as additional authorization or endorsement. It establishes an individual as an experienced teacher with adequate training in literacy instruction. It also ascertains that a professional can provide remedial education, evaluate literacy problems, and guide other teachers in literacy promotion. Requirements for this reading specialist certification vary in different states. Still, most states have requirements consistent with the International Reading Association Standards framework. According to it, these professionals must possess the following:

• A master’s degree specializing in reading and writing education – usually the equivalent of more than 21 semester hours in language arts, reading, and other relevant courses
• A supervised culminating practicum experience working with students facing difficulties in reading, along with experience working in collaboration with teachers
• Program experiences that foster effective student instruction and constructive leadership amongst other educators.

Standard courses for reading specialist certification include the following:

• Cognitive Development
• Language Acquisition and Development
• Diagnosing Reading Problems
• Adolescent Literature
• Action Research
• Literacy Assessment
• Curriculum Development

Classes and programs leading to licensure can be a part of a specialized master’s degree or be taken after completing a master’s degree. A non-degree program is relatively shorter than a traditional degree program. Still, it is not based on a few workshops alone. A reading specialist certification is not an additional endorsement to a standard teaching license. It is an extensive preparation program for a specialized academic occupation. Similar to all professions that require a license, this certification safeguards the value and integrity of the profession.
This postgraduate program includes elaborate coursework covering assessment, leadership, and instruction. The foundational education includes:

• Language development
• The relationship between language areas
• The method of the brain processing written information

It also covers particular literacy methods and strategies and links them to content taught in middle and high school. Aspirants for reading specialist certification also study the many techniques for credible evaluation of literacy difficulties and levels through formal and informal testing and methods, such as teacher observations and portfolios. Candidates for this certification must also learn how to:

• Accurately evaluate students from various grade levels
• Assess students from different linguistic backgrounds
• Interpret the results of these evaluations and communicate them to parents, teachers, and principals
• Apply the results to attain targeted instructions and devise methods to ease the process
• Train teachers through the leadership component
• Coordinate academic programs with other educators and the administration

How To Get A Reading Specialist Certification

1. Attain a bachelor’s degree in education, literacy, reading, or a relevant subject, along with a teacher preparation program.
2. Complete a student teaching intensive internship.
3. Take teaching evaluation tests for your particular state.
4. Apply for a teaching license.
5. Attain work experience as a classroom teacher while undertaking a postgraduate certification or master’s degree in reading or literacy.
6. Pass your state-specific tests for reading special endorsement.
7. Add this endorsement to your teaching license and use your reading specialist credential to apply to open reading specialist positions.

Reading Specialist Praxis

The Praxis Reading Specialist exam evaluates and tests participants seeking instructional or supervisory positions in reading instruction for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. This version of the Praxis exam is a competitive test crucial for a career as a reading specialist. Passing the test is necessary to pursue reading specialist certification or an advanced degree program. However, different states have different requirements for this testing. Thus it is advisable to check with your state’s Department of Education.

Job Outlook

These professionals work with students with learning, physical, or other disabilities and usually earn a salary similar to special education teachers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their annual average compensation rate stands at $61,820 per year, with an employment change of 37,600 between 2020 – 2030. Also, the reading specialist job outlook shows promising statistics, with 463,200 jobs in 2020 and a growth rate of 8% expected between 2020 and 2030, as fast as the average across all professions. A master’s reading specialist’s salary is generally higher than those without an advanced degree. Reading specialist salaries for those working with out-of-school secondary and adult students ranked at around $53,630 per year in 2018, with a favorable projected growth rate.

Professional Organizations, Associations, & Resources

A wide range of professional associations and organizations for reading education research and resources are available, some of which are as follows:

International Literacy Association

International Literacy Association has been operating as a nonprofit, multi-faceted global network of institutions and organizations working for worldwide literacy since 1956. With more than 56,000 dedicated members, this association supports and works for literacy professionals through various advocacy efforts, a range of resources, professional development activities, and volunteerism. It promotes substantial literacy levels for everybody by enhancing the quality of reading instruction, stimulating the lifetime reading habit, and advancing information and research related to reading.

College Reading & Learning Association

College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) – previously known as WCRLA – is a collection of student-oriented professionals dedicated to developmental education, reading, learning assistance, and mentoring at the adult and college levels. This diverse association provides a medium for the exchange of methods, ideas, data, and information for the enhancement of student learning and the facilitation of professional enhancement for its members.

Members apply their research and thus fuel the practical implementation of inventive strategies to boost student learning. Members work in a community spirit: bouncing their successful experiences off each other so everyone may benefit. The association invites those interested in reading, tutorial programs, college learning assistance, and developmental education and belonging to an administration or faculty of a public or private college or university to join the College Reading and Learning Association.

The California Reading Association

The California Reading Association (CRA) is a specialized nonprofit professional organization of academic educators who actively participate in the various aspects of reading and language arts education. Members represent a broad spectrum: ranging from kindergarten to adult/college level practitioners. This state organization is an affiliate of the International Reading Association (IRA). It contains more than 55 actively working local reading councils in various service areas across the state. With more than 3,000 members, this professional organization works to promote standards-specific instruction that falls at par with the California Reading/Language Arts Framework. It also supports the implementation of research-based teaching techniques and strategies mainly designed to allow students to decode, analyze, understand, critically decipher, and communicate seamlessly.

Orange County Reading Association

The Orange County Reading Association (OCRA) is a robust professional organization of teachers, reading specialists, administrators, parents, paraprofessionals, etc. teaching and enhancing reading at multiple levels. Specifically, it is a local council of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the California Reading Association (CRA). It boasts an honorary council status from the URA for the past thirty years.

National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)

The National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) has been a nonprofit organization since 1975. It ensures equal opportunities for English learning and academic success for language-minority students. The organization’s core principles include the following:

• Enhancing educational instructional practices for culturally and linguistically diverse students
• Landing adequate funding for academic programs working for limited-English-proficient students
• Offering bilingual educators with prime professional development
• Focusing and highlighting the rights of language-minority Americans as communities and states continue to move forward with academic reforms

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a professional organization that aims to advance professional academic expertise in English language learning. It specifically supports professionals teaching speakers of various other languages worldwide.

FAQs

What do reading specialists do?

These professionals are highly trained and support and assist students suffering from reading disabilities through various grades. However, they are also responsible for coordinating reading programs, interacting with parents, teachers, and administration, and co-teaching with classroom teachers in some instances.

What is the difference between a reading teacher and a reading specialist?

Reading teachers and reading specialists have various similar job responsibilities. However, reading specialists focus on assisting students with reading disabilities, typically in grade school. On the other hand, reading teachers help students in public and private schools at all grade levels.

What skills should a reading specialist have?

Based on their job requirements, reading specialists must possess strong leadership, instruction, evaluation, and communication skills.

What is the difference between reading and literacy specialists?

Reading specialists work on reading curricula, devise new activities for teachers, order the necessary reading materials, and interact with students directly – sometimes outside the orthodox classroom setting. Literacy specialists, in contrast, create lessons, observe and evaluate teachers, offer suggestions for improvement, and indulge in various other hands-on classroom activities.

Start Today!

Becoming a reading specialist is a fulfilling job that allows considerable opportunities to make a difference in the world by contributing to an augmentation in the literacy rate. Now that you know what it takes to pursue this career, it is time to adopt an adequate education path and work towards it! Head over to GetEducated.com to learn more about various other professions and make an informed decision about your future!