Reading Specialist Certification

Program Description | Admission | Certificate Requirements | Courses

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Program Description

The Reading Specialist Certification is designed for applicants desiring to work as an all-level Reading Specialist. Students must successful complete a departmental comprehensive and/or portfolio examination before taking the Reading Specialist Exam.

This certification is also offered in coordination with the MEd in Reading/Language Arts.

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Admission

To be regularly admitted to the graduate school, applicants must submit to the Office of Graduate Studies:

1. Graduate Studies Application with application fee
2. Official transcript from the baccalaureate degree granting institution
3. Two letters of recommendations with recommendation checklists
4. A copy of applicant’s teaching certificate
5. A teacher service record with at least two years of successful teaching experience
6. Interview with writing sample
7. Official GRE or MAT scores, if GPA in last 60 hours is below a 3.0

For information regarding the recommendation checklists, interview, and writing sample, please contact the Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations at (936) 294-4045.

In addition, applicants must complete an online questionnaire that shows that (1) they are presently teaching (or have access to a class) so that assignments can be applied and (2) they possess the necessary technology skills for graduate work/research.

NOTE: Candidates may be permitted to enroll for one semester while their admission file is incomplete.

Applicants with completed files are reviewed for regular admission by graduate faculty in each program area and are selected by faculty based on information in the completed file.

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Certificate Requirements

The Reading Specialist Certification requires the completion of 36 credit hours and is designed for those holding a valid Elementary or Secondary teaching certificate. The candidate must have two years successful teaching experience and successfully complete a departmental comprehensive and/or portfolio examination before taking the Reading Specialist Exam. Candidates must be enrolled in coursework during the semester they submit their comprehensive portfolio. The certification program originates in the Department of Language, Literacy, and Special Populations.

Plan 1 - Reading Specialist Certification

Item	Requirement	Options	Hours Required
1	Specified Courses	Choose all from: RDG 530 <READ> Foundations of Literacy RDG 590 <READ> Literature and Instructional Materials in Reading Programs RDG 598 <READ> Cognition and Emergent Literacy RDG 675 <READ> The Administration and Supervision of Literacy Programs1 BSL 571 <BESL> Social, Cultural and Language Influence on Learning RDG 561 <READ> Language Arts: Theory and Instruction RDG 532 <READ> Practicum in Literacy Assessment and Instructional Strategies I 2 RDG 533 <READ> Practicum in Literacy Assessment and Instructional Strategies II 3 RDG 589 <READ> Improvement of Literacy in Secondary Schools and Adult Populations RDG 638 <READ> Research in Language and Literacy I 4 RDG 688 <READ> The Politics of Literacy RDG 690 <READ> Internship in Reading Supervision 5	36
TOTAL			36

Notes:

1	Prerequisite: RDG 530
2	Prerequisite: Enroll concurrently with RDG 533
3	Prerequisite: Enroll concurrently with RDG 532
4	Prerequisite: RDG 530, 532, 533
5	Prerequisite: RDG 638

 

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Courses

Reading (READ)

Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language (BESL)

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