Reading Specialist, MEd

The Reading Specialist Master of Education program prepares competent, highly qualified literacy specialists by enhancing the knowledge and professional practices of certified classroom teachers for work in all educational settings to extend the literacy achievement of all students PK- 12. It affords practitioners the opportunity to broaden their understanding of culturally and linguistically relevant evidence-based literacy curricula, instruction, assessment, leadership, and evaluation that are responsive to social, cultural, cognitive, and linguistic diversity, to make literacy accessible for all learners in various settings.

Student Learning Outcomes

Candidates demonstrate knowledge of and apply major theoretical, conceptual, historical, and culturally and linguistically relevant evidence-based foundations of literacy (including components of reading, writing development, writing processes and foundational skills) and language (including language acquisition, structure of language, conventions of standard English, vocabulary acquisition and use, speaking, listening, viewing, visually representing) along with an understanding of how to integrate the new literacies and digital learning to influence literacy development across the grades and in the academic disciplines to effectively teach diverse learners.
Candidates use foundational knowledge to select, design, critique, adapt, evaluate, and implement evidence-based, literacy curricula, instructional strategies, supplemental and intervention approaches, and programs (components of a comprehensive, aligned, and integrated literacy curriculum) that are responsive to social, cultural, cognitive, and linguistic diversity, to meet the needs of all learners in various settings, especially those who experience difficulty with literacy.
Candidates select, utilize, analyze, and interpret a variety of valid, reliable, fair, and appropriate assessments aligned with current research to screen, diagnose, and to comprehensively monitor and measure the literacy achievement of diverse learners across multiple field-based experiences to implement data-driven and evidence-based literacy instruction and interventions.
Candidates engage in multiple field-based experiences in which they work with individual and small groups of students, and coach peers and experienced colleagues at various grade levels, as they assess students’ literacy achievement, develop literacy intervention plans, implement instructional practices, create supportive literacy learning environments, and assess impact on student learning through data- and evidence-based instructional strategies designed to meet the developmental needs of diverse learners.