Reading Specialist

The Reading Specialist Program at Teachers College equips future literacy leaders with the expertise to elevate student learning, refine teaching practices, construct lasting frameworks for reading excellence, and empower every student to excel as a reader, lifelong learner, and active citizen. In doing so, the program affirms a simple but powerful belief: the classrooms of today shape the society of tomorrow. Our program offers both a Master of Arts in Reading Specialist and an Advanced Certificate in Literacy.

What distinguishes the Teachers College Reading Specialist Program is its seamless integration of rigorous scholarship, evidence-based practice, and authentic leadership preparation. Rather than preparing specialists solely to remediate reading difficulties, the program develops professionals who improve literacy outcomes while strengthening teachers, schools, and educational systems. Teachers College graduates build capacity at every level of the educational community—developing stronger readers, stronger teachers, stronger schools, and stronger systems.

Ultimately, literacy is more than academic achievement. It is the foundation of educational opportunity, lifelong learning, critical thinking, and informed civic participation. Our program is grounded in the belief that every child who becomes a skilled reader is better prepared to contribute meaningfully to school, community, and society.