A Reading Specialist endorsement empowers licensed Arkansas teachers with the specific skills aimed at planning, teaching, and evaluating instruction for students having trouble reading or writing. A reading specialist is also trained to improve reading achievement for all students by supporting teachers and other personnel in the district. Our courses can be applied toward the Reading Specialist endorsement in Arkansas and will help licensed teachers prepare for the required Reading Specialist PRAXIS exam. Additionally, these courses may be applied to the Educational Specialist degree program.

The College of Education and Health Professions provides the coursework required by the State of Arkansas Department of Education for licensure endorsement as a Reading Specialist. Check the Arkansas Department of Education website for application forms and information.

Traditional financial aid and scholarships are not available for endorsement programs. Those teaching outside Arkansas should check with their home state's department of education to see if this coursework will be accepted for licensure endorsements in their home states.

Grounded in Research and Literature

Our coursework aligns with the statewide initiative Reading Initiative for Student Excellence in Arkansas, which is grounded in research and literature forming the science of reading. It also reflects the latest K-12 content competencies for reading specialists required by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and impacts the way reading is taught.

University of Arkansas faculty developed the coursework after consulting DESE’s required content competencies, the content addressed in the latest Reading Specialist Praxis exam, various national and state standards documents including the International Literacy Association’s Standards for Reading Professionals, and the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (2018), as well as leading research in the literacy education field.

The goals of the plan of study focus on the competencies developed by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education required for licensure as a K-12 Reading Specialist, as well as the Teacher Excellence Support System (TESS) for Specialty Areas (Instructional Specialist Framework).

Courses

• CIED 5063 - Disciplinary Literacies in Education
• CIED 5173 - Literacy Assessment and Intervention
• CIED 5533 - Teaching Language Arts
• CIED 5573 - Foundations of Literacy
• CIED 5793 - Practicum in Literacy
• SPED 5543 - Dyslexia Teaching Practicum
• SPED 5683 - Teaching Literacy Skills to Students with Disabilities

Details about other endorsement plans offered through the University of Arkansas are listed on the Teacher Education website.