Serving both teachers and students in a hybrid literacy professional role requires thoughtful planning and reflection. In this article, the authors reflect on their work over the course of one school year to determine how to manage time effectively to combine the job descriptions of reading specialist and literacy coach. Strategies are presented…

Today's schools face complex and difficult challenges. Classrooms are diverse; they are filled with students who require differentiation, given their diverse backgrounds and needs (e.g., specific learning disabilities, autism, English learners, gifted/highly able). Further, with the challenges of the 21st century requiring students to be prepared…

This study explored how an elementary reading teacher navigates the complex role of literacy instruction in public schools. Data was gathered through observation, semi-structured interviews, and document collection and analysis. Observation notes, transcripts, lesson plans, and schedules were analyzed using In Vivo, Values, and Descriptive coding.…

Scores on national and international tests for students in the United States indicated that students are not performing proficiently in reading. Furthermore, students are not able to comprehend complex reading tasks, which resulted in an adolescent literacy crisis (NGA & CCSO, 2010). In this collective case study, I explored ways four fifth…

This descriptive qualitative case study explored the changing role of the reading specialist through various perceptions of professionals in the Neon Shadow School District. The purpose of the study was to explore what, how, and why the duties and responsibilities of the reading specialist have changed since first employed as an…

Offers two scenarios which helped change the author's practice as a reading coordinator and helped her teachers explore personal research questions. (MG)

Determines, for reading specialists in general and for reading specialists in the federally funded Chapter 1 program specifically, (1) their professional training; (2) their actual responses as compared to their perceived "ideal" responsibilities; and (3) their topic preferences for in-service education offerings. (RS)

Argues that limiting reading specialists to providing diagnosis and remedial instruction is not making full use of their knowledge and training. Asserts that reading specialists should take the lead in enhancing reading instruction by meeting with classroom teachers, doing demonstration teaching, providing inservice lessons, and suggesting…

Suggests ways to expand the role of reading teacher in the school reading program. (MKM)

Intended for reading specialists who wish to become expert resource persons, this book provides a number of suggestions on how to bring about change in the attitudes of other educators concerning the place of the reading specialist in regular classroom settings. The nine chapters of the book provide the following information: (1) an overview of…

Many state certification recommendations in reading education do not clearly define "certification." This produces a number of questions, among them the following: (1) Do reading teachers who are likely to teach reading at either the secondary or elementary level need a developmental course at both levels? (2) Should there be discrete courses in…

Intended for use by individuals, teacher education institutions, private and corporate educational, vocational, and social agencies, and the general public, this guide presents the International Reading Association's recommendations for the preparation of teachers concerning knowledge of the reading process and reading instruction. The document's…

In response to concerns about the adequacy of the preparation provided for reading specialists in light of the duties spelled out for them in a 1977 Wisconsin statute, a study was undertaken to obtain perceptions of the responsibilities of reading professionals from Wisconsin school administrators and reading specialists. A total of 253…

This study examined the role of a reading specialist, hypothesizing that teachers of grades K-4 in an urban school district do not know nor understand the role of the reading specialist and would not take advantage of suggestions and strategies given them by the specialist. A survey was given to the teachers to see if they understood the reading…

Reports on a study that investigated the changes in roles and activities of reading specialists in an in-class program as compared to the pull-out program they had previously run. (FL)