Upon completion of the M.Ed. degree with a major in reading, the candidate will be eligible to apply for certification at the master’s-degree level in the teaching field of Reading Specialist (P-12). The undergraduate preparation of each applicant will be considered in planning the sequence of courses leading to the degree.

The M.Ed. degree with a major in reading is designed to provide the reading educator with the knowledge of:

• the foundation of reading and writing processes and instruction;
• a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods and curriculum materials to support reading and writing instruction;
• a variety of assessment tools and practices to use in planning effective instruction;
• instructional practices, curricular materials and evaluations with which to create an environment that fosters literacy; and
• professional development as a career-long effort and responsibility.

The degree also provides opportunities to develop the skills and dispositions needed to orchestrate materials, strategies and technology to create environments that foster effective reading and writing programs for diverse students. Candidates will be able to:

• use informal and formal assessment techniques to inform reading instruction for students and to evaluate programs;
• evaluate and redesign reading programs based on research and best practice;
• communicate results of instruction and assessment to a variety of shareholders in the development of reading;
• engage various shareholders in activities designed to support reading development;
• work collaboratively with content-area teachers to integrate reading instruction and strengthen students’ reading abilities; and
• coordinate school-level reading activities between and among teachers.