Reading Specialist, Certificate in (Post-master’s certificate)
Christenbury, Dr. Leila
Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning
lchriste@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1305
Admission requirements summary
Reading Specialist, Certificate in (Post-master’s certificate)
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| Degree: Certificate |
Semester(s) of entry: Fall Spring Summer |
Deadline dates: Mar 15 Nov 1 Mar 15 |
Test requirements: GRE or MAT |
The certificate program is offered for individuals who aspire to become reading specialists. Applicants for the certificate program must hold a master’s degree in any specialty area related to education.
The certificate program is designed for students who wish to gain state licensure as a reading specialist in kindergarten through high school settings. Applicants are required to have at least three years of teaching experience in a reading-related field setting if they want to be recommended to the Department of Education for endorsement as a reading specialist in Virginia.
All requirements for admission to graduate school apply to applicants for the Post-master’s Certificate in Reading Specialist. All state department requirements for reading specialist (specifically the 12 hours of graduate or undergraduate work in selected areas) must be met.
Students are required to earn a minimum of 24 graduate hours beyond their current master’s degree, including the required reading courses, an approved reading selective and an elective in the School of Education that has been approved by the adviser. Advisers will recommend selective courses based upon student experience and goals. During the last semester of course work, students must complete a reading portfolio documenting their work in the program and related work experiences and pass the Virginia Reading Assessment. See adviser for specific due date. Candidates must receive a passing score on the Virginia Reading Assessment as a graduation requirement.
Persons completing the program are expected to demonstrate:
- An understanding of the reading language learning process
- The ability to critique, adapt and model use of a variety of reading instructional strategies, methods and programs
- Expertise in developing and providing for continuous assessment of an individual and groups
- Ability to implement school-wide developmental, creative and intervention reading/language arts programs
- Ability to understand and apply theory to practice within a variety of cultural contexts
Credits |
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| Required content courses | ||
| READ 600 Analysis and Correction of Reading Problems | 3 |
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| READ 605 Organizing and Implementing Reading Programs | 3 |
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| READ 700 Externship | 3 |
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| TEDU 561 Reading Foundations: Sociological/Psychological Perspectives* | 3 |
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| TEDU 562 Reading Instruction in the Content Areas* | 3 |
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| TEDU 672 Internship | 3 |
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| Approved literacy selective (select one of the following) | 3 |
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| READ 601 Psycholinguistics and Language Arts Curriculum (3) | ||
| READ 602 Literacy for Adults (3) | ||
| TEDU 500 Workshop in Education: topics in literacy (to be designated) (3) | ||
| TEDU 525 Teaching Language Arts (3) | ||
| TEDU 526 Word Study (3) | ||
| TEDU 528/ENGL 528 Children’s Literature II (3) | ||
| TEDU 549 Diagnostic Reading in the Secondary School (3) | ||
| TEDU /ENGL/LING 552 Teaching English as a Second Language (3)* | ||
| TEDU 681 Investigations and Trends in Teaching | ||
| Elective | 3 |
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| Electives should be used to ensure state regulations for the endorsement are met. | ||
*These courses may also count as part of the ESL endorsement.
Endorsement in teaching English as a second language
Students who want to pursue an endorsement in teaching English as a second language may do so in conjunction with the M.Ed. in Reading. The endorsement requires 24 credit hours of study, none of which may be part of the master’s degree if TEDU 552 is selected as the restricted elective. Nine additional hours of ESL course work and six hours of a modern foreign language are also required. For additional information, see the school’s Added or add-on endorsements page in this Bulletin or contact Valerie Robnolt, Ph.D., at vjrobnolt@vcu.edu.