Program Description: This program is designed for individuals who wish to receive the
Reading Specialist Certification along with a supervisor's certificate
to work as a reading/literacy specialist, coach, basic skills teacher,
or supervisor in public and private schools grades K through 12. In
order to be eligible for the Graduate School of Education (GSE) to make recommendations to the New Jersey
Department of Education for certification issuance, candidates must meet
the following state requirements within a year of completing the program:
- Reading Specialist: must have a standard New Jersey
instructional certification with two years of full-time experience as a
classroom teacher.
- Supervisor: must have a standard New Jersey instructional or
educational services certification with three years of full-time
experience under that certification.
The program is designed to enable students to initiate new
programs, evaluate curriculum, design assessment, engage other teachers
in professional development, and be able to act as a leader in the
school. These individuals will be able to plan programs for children of
differing abilities and diverse cultural backgrounds. These students
should also be able to foster a vision of literacy learning as an active
social process in which students become engaged readers with strategies
for independent reading and the motivation to read for pleasure and
for information.
The program requires 33 credits of study. Students will develop a
broad understanding of literacy issues by taking core courses on the
development of literacy, the diagnosis and remediation of reading
problems, curriculum development, and supervision of literacy programs.
Students will also study theory and research in the field. Additional
credits include courses dealing with strategies for literacy
instruction, with administration and supervision, and with learning
cognition and development.
Education Requirements:
Core Courses (12 credits)
15:299:561 Theoretical Foundations of Literacy, Research, Policy, and Practice (3)
15:299:564 Diagnosis and Correction of Reading Difficulties (3)
15:299:565 Clinical Practicum (Laboratory in Remedial Reading) (3)
15:299:566 Literacy Research and Supervision (3)
Literacy Methods (9 credits, select 3 courses from this list)
15:252:519 Teaching Writing for Children and Adolescents (3)
15:252:522 Multimodal and Digital Literacies (3)
15:252:525 Writing Project Workshop: Bringing Research and Theory into Practice (3)
15:252:526 Teaching Struggling Readers (3)
15:299:514 Literacy Development in the Early Years (3)
15:299:516 Literacy Development in the Elementary and Middle School (3)
15:299:518 Current Topics in Reading Education (3)
15:299:533 Coaching: Leadership, Supervision, and Professional Development in Literacy (3)
15:299:562 Reading and Writing Across Content Disciplines (3)
Materials for Children and Adolescents (3 credits, select one)
15:252:520 Adolescent Literature for Secondary Students (3)
15:299:509 Children's Literature in the Early Childhood and Elementary School Curriculum (3)
Study in Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration (6 credits)
15:230:521 Supervision of Instruction (3)
15:310:500 Curriculum and Instruction (3)
Study in Educational Psychology (3 credits, select one)
15:293:522 Learning Disabilities (3)
15:293:525 Psychology of the Exceptional Child (3)
Master of Education (Ed.M.) Programs with State Certification 
