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Our 24-credit fully online Pennsylvania Reading Specialist program is for professional educators who are seeking certification as a PA K-12 Reading Specialist.

In our program, you will gain enhanced reading skills that will enable you to work one-to-one or in small groups with students who are experiencing difficulty reading at grade level.

Also, you will obtain the necessary skills to assess students’ reading abilities, identifying deficiencies and creating intervention plans for grade-level students who have been identified in need of more reading help. 

Additionally, you will learn about teaching reading in the content areas, the reading and writing connection and the skills needed to coach other teachers in the classroom. 

Pictured is education alumna Breigh Svonavec. Photo by Sheena Zolla

Courses & Topics

Our courses will strengthen your ability to teach reading and enable you to work school wide or district wide coaching other teachers in effective reading practices.

Obtaining credits in our reading specialist certificate program can also be applied toward gaining permanent certification. Courses in our program include:

  • Foundations of Literacy
  • Reading and Writing Content
  • Literature and Literacy
  • Literacy Assessment
  • Roles of Reading Specialist
  • Content Area Design & Instruction
  • Research Methods
  • Reading Specialist Practicum

Through the practicum course in this program, students will be required to complete the mandated number of hours in a K-12 classroom environment. Additionally, successful completion of the Praxis 5301 exam is required for certification.