REQUIREMENTS FOR THE READING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION

• Admission to the graduate program of Texas A&M University in the College of Education and Human Development, Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture (TLAC)
• Specific coursework offered by TLAC
• A valid Texas teaching certificate
• The successful completion of a TExES examination, given by the state of Texas
• Two years of teaching experience at an accredited school — can be completed before, during or after coursework
• Students must declare their interest in pursuing the MRT and/or Reading Specialist certification(s) when accepting the admission offer for the master’s graduate program.
• Students must also claim a TEA ID# if they do not already have one. The TEA ID# must be claimed at the time of admission into the master’s program.
• All requested information must be provided by the student by the deadlines provided.
• Students who began their graduate studies prior to 2014 can no longer be approved to take the exam(s).

Because of the close correspondence between Master Reading Teacher certification, Reading Specialist Certification, and the master’s degree, interested students are strongly encouraged to consider a program that accomplishes all three.

The Reading Specialist certification program requires students contact an advisor at the time of admission into the master’s graduate program in order to be eligible to pursue the certification.

Students will need to provide a TEA ID# and a UIN within 7 days of their acceptance notification.

The Reading Specialist certificate is a state of Texas teaching certificate that requires:

• 7 Specific Courses (see below)
• The successful completion of a TExES examination
• A valid Texas teaching certificate
• Two years of successful teaching experience in an accredited school (can be completed before, during, or after coursework)

Current guidelines can be found on the TEA website

Master’s Admissions

The Master Reading Teacher Certification can be earned in conjunction with the Reading Specialist Certification.

Courses required for Reading Specialist certification

RDNG 602 Teaching Reading in the Elementary Grades (OLD RDNG 674)

Examination, analyses, and application of instructional terms, methods, and approaches for teaching reading and spelling in the elementary grades. Past, present and emerging reading instructional programs are the focus of knowledge and application.  A primary focus is on word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension, spelling, and knowledge acquisition as well as difficulties in acquiring these skills (such as dyslexia and hyperlexia).  These foci are discussed for both the written and new literacies and learning skills required by the Internet and other present, new, and emerging information and communication technologies.

RDNG 603 Using Advanced Literacy to Teach and Learn across Disciplines (OLD RDNG 649)  

The purpose of this course is to examine pedagogies that use literacy for helping students learn across disciplines and content areas. In particular this course explores aspects of literacy practices (reading, writing, discussion, interpretive and critical activities) for the comprehension and evaluation of new content. In addition to traditional print forms of texts, we will consider strategies for teaching new literacies skills associated with ICT, media, and visual reading.  We will examine theoretically grounded and empirically supported instructional methods that: (a) help students become strategic readers and writers of content-area concepts in discipline specific manners; (b) provide strategies to increase the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge; (c) help students comprehend new knowledge; (d) encourage students to write to learn; (e) draw on and extend in-school and out-of-school literacy practices; (f) allow teachers to analyze, critique, and use textbooks and other texts to meet their students’ diverse interests and needs; and  (g) have the knowledge of different types of literacy problems at the secondary levels and to provide appropriate instructional strategies.

Reading 604  Assessment for Literacy Intervention

Assessment of literacy skills, primarily for students with reading difficulties.  Assessments include formal and informal literacy measures with an emphasis on identifying strengths and weaknesses in literacy development.  The assessment process incorporates administration, analysis, interpretation and the preparation of a formal report. This is the first of a two-course sequence with RDNG 605.

Pre-/Co-requisite: RDNG 674

Reading 605 Practicum in Literacy Intervention (OLD RDNG 642)

Practicum to interpret and translate literacy assessments into instruction. In a reflective model, students will develop and deliver lessons for struggling readers while monitoring progress towards individualized goals. Responsibilities include communication and coordination with families.  This is the second of a two-course sequence with RDNG 604.

Pre-requisite: RDNG 604

RDNG 616 Organization and Leadership of Reading Programs

Focus on the procedures, skills, and dispositions associated with the development, implementation, and leadership of literacy programs at a school and district level; roles of reading specialists, professional development, program evaluation, change processes.

RDNG 634 Reading Research & Trends (OLD RDNG 614)

This course is a seminar for doctoral students or advanced master’s students in reading, English as a second language (ESL), educational psychology, or other related fields. In this course, we will: a) explore recent research in reading; b) identify trends and patterns in research designs and findings; and c) generate new research hypotheses and guidelines for improving current practice.

RDNG 635 Theories of Reading Processes (OLD RDNG 615)

This course is a seminar for doctoral students or advanced master’s students in reading, language arts, English as a second language (ESL), educational psychology, or other related fields. In this course, we will study major classical and contemporary theories of reading processes, discuss empirical research designed to examine these theories and evaluate the practical implications of these theories and empirical studies.

Reading Handbook