A reading specialist who worked in a high-poverty urban elementary school that initially did not have an exemplary reading program provides seven lessons that can serve as a guidepost for other reading specialists. Several approaches that led to improved reading achievement of upper elementary school children are described. The seven lessons, when combined with lessons from reading specialists who work in schools with exemplary programs, have implications for current and future reading specialists. There are also implications for those responsible for preparing reading specialists. The focus is on increasing reading achievement schoolwide.