Term Paper on "Role of a Reading Specialist"

Term Paper 6 pages (1744 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Role of a Reading Specialist

General Role of a Reading Specialist

Instruction

In the past epoch, reading specialists or experts were educators who work in hand with children who struggle with reading, adding or supplanting the classroom instructor's work. In contemporary times, new responsibilities are essential. The most necessities are for the reading specialist's instruction to supplement, build and extend classroom-teaching practices. Such a necessity calls for the reading expert, and the class teacher to work together for them to implement a quality-studying plan that research-based and accomplishes the needs of all students. The class teacher and reading specialist can line up instruction so that the teaching process is harmonious and high quality. The reading specialists and teachers ought to converse with together and with parents or other professional personnel regarding instruction. For the promotion of collaboration, harmony and communication between teachers and reading experts, the instruction that the reading specialist provides can occur in the classroom. This approach has an advantage since it emphasizes the pertinence of a synchronized and instruction approach (Sharma, 2005).

Assessment

Reading specialists have exceptional knowledge of evaluation and diagnosis, which is crucial for enhancing, implementing and assessing the literacy program. It is also crucial in innovating and designing instruction for students individually. Reading specialists can examine the needs of learners and give that information to teachers, parents and personnel such as specialized educators, psychologists and speech teachers in order to develop an appropriate reading program. The assessment does not essentially require extensive and official testing (Carlson, 2009). Rather, it may inculcate observation of learners in class, discussion of the results of several class examination measures with the class teacher. Assessment entails observing the learner to pinpoint how they respond to literacy tasks. The specialist and the class teacher liaise to program and implement a proper studying program for the learner. Reading experts may have a pertinent role in synchronizing efforts related to division standards. Such standards necessitate the enhancement and implementation of the examination tools.

Leadership

In any dispensation, the leadership responsibility is vital and multidimensional. All reading experts need to pose as potential resources to fellow educators, teachers, parents and the entire community. They also help teachers by offering viewpoints, stratagems and materials that can improve on instruction. They take a significant role in supporting teachers, especially new tutors and administrators in getting more knowledge regarding the profession of reading and teaching (Bean, 2009). They head professional enhancement workshops, model stratagems, and teaching skills and conduct synchronized lessons. They also pose as resources to other professional personnel by participating in instructional support and student teams. They are aware of the traits of adult students, and they comprehend how learning proceeds throughout the lifespan. They also possess exemplary interpersonal skills. They play a pertinent role in creating fruitful home and school connections through liaising with parents and aiding teachers establish effectual parent-tutor relationships.

Present Role of the Reading Specialist

Reading specialists ought to demonstrate and display a coherent comprehension of the above-mentioned approaches of teaching students in a classroom or home-based settings. They should be apt to identify the characteristics of such approaches that have worked out fruitfully in other schools. These specialists should display an understanding of the implication of emotional, bodily, perceptual societal, environmental and academic factors on learning, development of language and acquisition of reading. They should depict an understanding of the fundamental theories of language enhancement, learning and cognition. They should understand reading as a mental process of creating meaning via interaction of the scholar's existent knowledge, information portrayed by the written language and the perspective of the studying situation. They should show that literacy is a means of extending ethical and cultural values and teachers should handle reading as a process that should be teachable. Reading specialists should demonstrate a complete comprehension and reverence for cultural, linguistic and racial multiplicity in the entire teaching process (Dagen & Bean, 2011).

Action Plan

Creation of a literate environment is a pertinent thing to practice when teaching students of all ages. Children ought to undergo exposure to numerous and diverse types of text for them to prospect their own interests in reading material. Aiding students find literature material is a core factor in motivating them and instilling the love of studying. It is pertinent for the tutor to encourage an enjoyment of reading and uses of reading (Sharma, 2005). Getting scholars excited about the reading experience means that the teacher ought to avail numerous opportunities for students to study. They should provide them adequate time to experience the literature material by thinking and digesting it among other methods such as discussion with fellow peers. An immense supply of high quality text from numerous backgrounds guarantees scholars easy location of the material.

Reading is a cornerstone that gives students opportunities to succeed in numerous life areas and various educational aspects. Inducing love of reading is a task that any educator should not assume. Modelling inspiration for reading and offering worthy opportunities for purposeful and authentic reading via various literatures is a worthy priority for any teacher and reading assistant. Assessment is a pertinent section of any educational curriculum but is not sufficient to examine scholars. Those examinations ought to be in the application in guiding proper instruction. Reading assistants ought to choose assessments in order to decipher as much about students and should aid in determining their requirements and strengths in a given area (Bean, 2009).

Reading specialists should determine whether scholars are displaying growth with the present instruction type or if some instructional alterations would be necessary for the derivation of desired results. Several assessment models are essential because some are more official and obtain standard results while others are informal. Reading specialists can conduct the informal assessments in the classroom for finding a student's performance. Apart from using assessments and for teaching guidance, assessments are useful in communicating and predicting a student's progress with the school management, teachers and parents (Carlson, 2009). When reading assistants liaise with parents and professional educators, a succinct comprehension of a student's performance level is determinable with the most beneficial and proper stratagems.

Limitations for Reading Specialists

Reading Level Challenges

Various reading specialists working with scholars may find themselves in pullout instances. The major quandary in this concern is that students in any classroom possess diverse levels of learning abilities. Numerous reading specialists have complained that handling of students with varying levels of academic abilities proves difficult.

Discipline and Behavior

In different learning institutions, there exist students of diverse ethnic and societal backgrounds. Their backgrounds may be root of their behaviors in the classroom setting. In some cases, reading specialists encounter students who have the Attention Deficit (ADHD) or ADD. Most of these personnel indicate that behavioral actions of such students hamper and negatively implicate on their attention. Ultimately, the disorders affect the behavior of all other scholars within the group (Dagen & Bean, 2011).

Mandatory Testing Challenges by the State

In all interviews by reading assistants, teachers usually assert their need of preparation of the mandatory state tests. Such tests present frustrations for numerous reading specialists. The limitation here is that the specialists find it overworking to take responsibility of the test results. This is because of their line of duty, to observe student failures in all dimensions of learning and aiding them succeed.

Working with Administrators

Most Reading Assistants report limitations relating to their operation and relations with administrators in both district and institutional levels. There is a discrepancy and lack of clarity regarding the role of the reading assistant in the institution. They also face quandaries with the reading plans inculcated within various schools and the stipulation that students have to pass in tests mandated by the state (Gambrell & Morrow, 2011).

Working with Parents

Reading specialists face some challenges regarding their working relationship with parents. Most reading specialists relay their concerns regarding acquiring and maintaining close contact with parents who are non-English speakers. Reading specialists find that such situations are limiting. They resort to trying different methods in order to remedy such situations.

Potential resources for such an implementation

There is a variety of tools and resources that reading specialists require in their practice. Most of these resources are intangible and require proper strategizing for a successful career. First, the reading specialist should apply knowledge of the interconnected components of reading across the entire development process of verbal and written language. They should be an expert in reading instructions at all levels. The reading specialist ought to apply expertise in the implementation, creation and provision of integrated literacy examinations and instructions. They can achieve this using proper methods and resources to accommodate the different learning requirements of scholars. Reading specialists should identify and recognize the diverse strengths and needs of individual learners and influence their literacy development (Gambrell & Morrow, 2011). They should promote literacy by applying knowledge of the primary and secondary languages. They should apply knowledge of studying difficulties and disabilities to enhance literacy. Reading specialists comprehend the theoretical basics… READ MORE

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