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Reading Specialist Certification Program

Drexel University School of Education - Online

The​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​Certification​ ​program​ at​ ​Drexel​ ​University’s​ ​School​ ​of Education​ ​in​ ​Philadelphia,​ ​Pennsylvania​ aims​ ​to​ ​prepare​ graduate​ students​ ​to​ ​work with​ ​individuals​ ​with​ ​a​ ​range​ ​of​ ​reading​ ​abilities​ ​and​ ​needs​ ​by​ ​introducing​ ​them​ ​to multisensory​ ​approaches​ ​to​ ​reading​ ​instruction,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​diagnostic​ ​tools for​ ​planning​ ​and​ ​evaluation​ ​purposes,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​to​ ​monitor​ ​student​ ​performance​ ​and growth.​ ​Students​ enrolled​ ​in​ ​the​ ​online​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​Certification​ ​program​ will learn​ ​effective​ ​reading​ ​strategies,​ ​and​ ​become​ ​exceptionally​ ​skilled​ ​and​ ​qualified​ ​to support​ ​students​ ​with​ ​reading​ ​needs​ ​and​ ​provide​ ​literacy​ ​leadership​ ​and​ ​coaching​ ​to teachers​ ​and​ ​schools.

HOW TO BECOME A READING SPECIALIST?

Drexel's Reading Specialist Certification program is a 31-credit program that can be completed in about 15 months. In addition to completing the 8 core courses that meet PA Department of Education’s requirements for professional competencies for Reading Specialists in training, the program also requires 5 core courses from the Wilson Reading System® program, providing our students with in-depth knowledge of language structure, multisensory, and diagnostic instructional techniques for 2nd through 12 grade students and adults who need more intensive support in reading or have language-based disabilities.

For PA Reading Specialist certification, students must complete the PA Praxis exam Reading Specialist (Test Code #5301/0301) with passing score of 164. Graduates​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​Certificate​ ​program​ ​who​ ​have​ ​passed​ ​the appropriate​ ​Praxis​ ​exam​ ​and​ ​received​ ​the​ ​PA​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​add-on​ ​state certification​ ​will​ ​have​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​become​ ​reading​ ​specialists,​ ​reading interventionists,​ ​literacy​ ​coaches,​ ​literacy​ ​mentors,​ ​literacy​ ​program​ ​directors, reading​ ​teachers,​ and​ ​literacy​ ​specialists​ ​working​ ​in​ ​a​ ​community-based​ ​literacy center.

READING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be admitted to the Reading Specialist program, students must possess​ ​an Instructional​ ​I​ ​certificate​ ​in​ ​PA​ ​or​ ​another​ ​state.​ The​ online​ Reading​ ​Specialist program​ ​aims​ ​to​ ​help​ ​graduate​ ​students​:

  • Understand​ ​how​ ​literacy​ ​is​ ​a​ ​meaning​ ​making​ ​process
  • Offer​ ​different​ ​ways​ ​of​ ​exploring​ ​children's​ ​responses​ ​to​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​texts
  • Enrich​ ​reading​ ​and​ ​writing​ ​in​ ​content​ ​area​ ​classrooms;​ ​and​ ​to​ ​teach​ ​them​ ​how to​ ​incorporate​ ​research-based​ ​approaches

Students​ ​will​ ​graduate​ ​with​ ​a​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​Certification,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​a WILSON®​ ​Level​ ​I​ ​certificate.​ ​The​ ​WILSON®​ ​Level​ ​I​ ​certificate​ ​will​ ​allow​ students:

  • To​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​intricacies​ ​of​ ​the​ ​English​ ​language
  • To​ ​teach​ ​a​ ​direct​ ​instruction​ ​multisensory​ ​language-based​ ​program
  • To​ ​support​ ​students​ ​who​ ​need​ ​extra​ ​reading​ ​assistance

READING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION FEATURES & PROGRAM BENEFITS

Drexel​ ​University​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​a​ ​few​ ​select​ ​universities​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​WILSON®​ ​Level​ ​I courses​ ​as​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​core​ ​requirements.​ ​Students​ ​will​ ​receive​ ​a​ ​Level​ ​I certificate​ ​from​ ​WILSON®​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​a​ Pennsylvania​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist Certification.

  • Learn​ ​from​ ​highly​ ​qualified​ ​faculty​ ​who​ ​have​ ​expertise​ ​in​ ​online​ ​teaching​ ​and are​ ​practitioner-scholars​ ​in​ ​the​ ​field​ ​of​ ​literacy.
  • Fully​ ​accredited​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Middle​ ​States​ ​Commission​ ​on​ ​Higher​ ​Education. Drexel​ ​University's​ ​teacher​ ​education​ and​ ​reading​ ​specialist​ programs​ ​are approved​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Pennsylvania​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Education.
  • Flexible,​ ​completely​ ​online​ reading​ ​specialist​ degree​ ​program​ ​that​ ​fits​ ​easily into​ ​your​ ​busy​ ​work​ ​and​ ​personal​ ​schedule.
  • The​ ​Reading​ ​Specialist​ ​program​ ​is​ ​financial​ ​aid​ ​eligible.
  • Credits​ ​are​ ​eligible​ ​for​ ​transfer​ ​into​ ​the​ MS​ ​in​ ​Teaching,​ ​Learning,​ ​and Curriculum​ ​program​.
  • Course​ ​descriptions​ ​may​ ​be​ ​found​ ​in​ ​the​ Drexel​ ​University​ ​Course​ ​Catalog​.

HOW TO APPLY TO THE READING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM?

The Reading Specialist certification program is offered 100% online. You can get started by filling out the Drexel Online application.

Program Questions

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For questions about all School of Education academic programs, please contact enroll@drexel.edu.

CAEP Accredited Provider

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Drexel University's School of Education has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.