Go to the head of the class and enjoy a rewarding teaching and leadership career as a reading specialist. If you’re already a PreK-12 certified teacher, it’s easy when you enroll in PennWest’s online Reading Specialist Master’s Degree program.
The focus of this fully accredited program is student success. It prepares you to develop and implement evidence-based literary instructional practices and interventions so you can support learners from diverse cultural, social and linguistic backgrounds. A capstone clinical practicum provides an intensive opportunity to apply strategies, skills and knowledge to a one-on-one clinical reading experience with school-aged children.
This program is designed to accommodate the busy schedule of a classroom teacher. You can choose from two concentrations based on your personal interests.
This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Pennsylvania ranks 10th in the country for literacy in fourth-grade students.
Low levels of literacy cost the U.S. approximately $2.2 trillion per year, according to ThinkImpact.
Percentage of PennWest Reading Specialist professors who have a doctoral degree.
30
100% online
Approximately one in five children are affected by dyslexia around the world today. There is a growing need for educators who can provide effective literacy skills for both children and adults.
Our Dyslexia Interventionist concentration emphasizes innovative, personalized educational approaches to serve diverse learners. You will learn about assistive technologies as well as written and visual expression for exceptional readers and acquire research- and evidence-based dyslexia interventions that will allow you to assist students with learning differences.
To prepare you for your work with dyslexic children, you will complete 60 hours of field experience, including 30 hours of one-on-one multisensory structured language instruction with a client in each of your final two semesters. You’ll graduate with the tools you need to develop and grow as a professional.
Make a difference in the lives of children by helping them to become better readers. As a Literacy Specialist, you will utilize research- and evidence-based skills and strategies, such as literacy interventions for striving readers, diagnostic assessments, literary curriculum design and implementation, as well as organization, supervision and administration of reading programs.
Through PennWest’s master’s program you will become a part of a vibrant community of online learners, ambitious about sharing their knowledge and experiences as a catalyst for individual, classroom, school or district-wide change.
Two field experiences will give you hands-on experience in the areas of assessment, analysis and instruction. Upon completion of the program, you will be eligible to register for the Reading Specialist Praxis exam and apply for Reading Specialist Certification.
What can I do with a Reading Specialist Master’s degree?
Reading specialists typically work in schools but may also serve as tutors in schools, libraries, community centers and in private settings. In some schools, reading specialists are called on to help develop reading curricula and coordinate various reading and literacy programs. On a community level, the reading specialist may be involved in adult literacy or teach English as a Second Language. Other possible job titles include literacy coach, reading coach and reading intervention specialist.
Conditional Admission Requirements
PennWest’s three campuses, California, Clarion and Edinboro universities, have been delivering award-winning online programs for more than 20 years. You’ll graduate with a degree from Pennsylvania Western University, completely supported by the expertise and community of learners on our brick-and-mortar campuses.