Section 550. Reading specialist

The reading specialist program shall ensure that the candidate has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Assessment and diagnostic teaching. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the use of formal and informal screening, diagnostic and progress monitoring assessment for language proficiency, concepts of print, phoneme awareness, letter recognition, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, reading levels, comprehension; and

b. Demonstrate expertise in the ability to use diagnostic data to tailor instruction for acceleration, intervention, remediation, and flexible skill-level groupings.

2. Oral communication. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the knowledge, skills, and processes necessary for teaching oral language (speaking and listening);

b. Demonstrate expertise in developing students' phonological awareness skills;

c. Demonstrate effective strategies for facilitating the learning of standard English by speakers of other languages and dialects;

d. Demonstrate an understanding of the unique needs of students with language differences and delays; and

e. Demonstrate the ability to promote creative thinking and expression, as through storytelling, drama, choral/oral reading, etc.

3. Reading/literature. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in explicit phonics instruction, including an understanding of sound/symbol relationships, syllables, phonemes, morphemes, decoding skills, and word attack skills;

b. Demonstrate expertise in the morphology of English including inflections, prefixes, suffixes, roots, and word relationships;

c. Demonstrate expertise in strategies to increase vocabulary;

d. Demonstrate expertise in the structure of the English language, including and understanding of syntax, semantics, and vocabulary development;

e. Demonstrate expertise in reading comprehension strategies, including a repertoire of questioning strategies, understanding the dimensions of word meanings, teaching predicting, summarizing, clarifying, and associating the unknown with what is known;

f. Demonstrate expertise in the ability to teach strategies in literal, interpretive, critical, and evaluative comprehension;

g. Demonstrate the ability to develop comprehension skills in all content areas;

h. Demonstrate the ability to foster appreciation of a variety of literature; and

i. Understand the importance of promoting independent reading and reading reflectively by selecting quality literature, including fiction and nonfiction, at appropriate reading levels.

4. Writing. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the knowledge, skills, and processes necessary for teaching writing, including the domains of composing, written expression, and usage and mechanics and the writing process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing;

b. Demonstrate expertise in systematic spelling instruction, including awareness of the purpose and limitations of "invented spelling," orthographic patterns, and strategies for promoting generalization of spelling study to writing; and

c. Demonstrate expertise to teach the writing process: plan draft, revise, edit, and share in the narrative, descriptive, and explanative modes.

5. Technology. The candidate shall demonstrate expertise in their use of technology for both process and product as they work to guide students with reading, writing, and research.

6. Leadership and specialization. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate an understanding of child psychology, including personality and learning behaviors;

b. Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of high achieving students and of strategies to challenge them at appropriate levels;

c. Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of cultural contexts upon language;

d. Demonstrate an understanding of varying degrees of learning disabilities;

e. Demonstrate expertise with educational measurement and evaluation including validity, reliability, and normative comparisons in test design and selections;

f. Demonstrate expertise to interpret grade equivalents, percentile ranks, normal curve equivalents, and standards scores;

g. Demonstrate the ability to instruct and advise teachers in the skills necessary to differentiate reading instruction for both low and high achieving readers;

h. Demonstrate the ability to organize and supervise the reading program within the classroom, school, or division;

i. Demonstrate effective communication skills in working with a variety of groups, including parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders, etc.; and

j. Demonstrate knowledge of current research and exemplary practices in English/reading.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 25, eff. September 21, 2007.

Statutory Authority

§ 22.1-298.2 of the Code of Virginia.