Coordinator: Lesley Morrow (848-932-0764; email lesley.morrow@gse.rutgers.edu)
Program Description: This program is designed for
individuals who wish to receive the Reading Specialist Certification by taking GSE courses on-campus and online. The certification permits individuals to work as a
reading/literacy specialist in public and private schools grades K-12. The
program is designed to enable teachers to plan programs appropriate for
children of differing abilities and diverse cultural backgrounds based on
research and theory, 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. In order to apply for this program, an applicant must already possess a New Jersey Standard Instructional Certificate, have two years full-time teaching experience, and must hold a
master's degree. (Anyone interested in becoming certified as a reading
specialist while simultaneously earning a master's degree must apply to the Ed.M. program in reading with certification rather than this program.)
Students admitted to this non-degree program may apply
to the Ed.M. program in Reading with Reading Specialist Certification, prior to
completing 12 credits and, upon acceptance, may complete both the Reading Specialist Certificate and the master's degree. Additional requirements beyond
the 30 required credits for the certificate include taking 6
credits in consultation with an adviser and completing a portfolio project. It
is essential that students apply early because taking the courses does not
guarantee acceptance to the master's program.
Education Requirements (30 credits):
Reading Specialist Core (12 credits)
15:299:561 Theoretical Foundations of Literacy, Curriculum, Leadership, 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 Seminar in Reading Research, Curriculum, and Supervision (3)
Courses in Literacy Methods (9 credits)
15:250:592 Summer Institute in Literacy (3)
15:252:517 Teaching the Language Arts (3)
15:252:519 Teaching Writing for Children and Adolescents (3)
15:252:521 Teachers as Writers (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)
15:299:515 Literacy Development for Secondary-Level and Adult learners (3)
15:299:516 Literacy Development in Elementary and Middle School (3)
15:299:533 Coaching: Leadership, Supervision, and Professional Development (3)
15:299:562 Reading and Writing Across Content Disciplines (3)
Materials for Children and Adolescents (3 credits)
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 Special Education (3 credits)
15:293:522 Learning Disabilities (3)
15:293:525 Psychology of the Exceptional Child (3)
15:293:533 Assessment and Measurement for Special Education (3)
Study in Supervision (3)
15:230:521 Supervision of Instruction (3)
15:230:512 Administration and Supervision of Elementary and Secondary Schools (3)
Nondegree State Certification Programs 
