Episode 3: What is a Literacy Specialist?

I’m Elizabeth Morphis your host and today I’m addressing the difference between a literacy specialist and a reading specialist. I also want to provide context for how the job came to be in schools.

I’m also interviewing Kasey, a literacy specialist and one of my former students about her job and what it entails.

Two questions I get often are:

●      What is the difference between a reading specialist and a literacy specialist?

●      What does a literacy specialist do? 

In theory there isn’t much difference between the two. The term has shifted from reading to literacy recently. Hear how specialists came about. They’ve been in schools since the 1930’s, and the role they play in schools has changed over time. 

The shift from reading to literacy is because schools have recognized that reading is not the only area of focus. Literacy specialists address all areas of language arts. Specialists are working to support students with reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and even visual representation.  

Different school districts may choose to use different terms, but it’s essentially the same role.

 Kasey is a reading specialist working with K-2 kids who are ages 5-8. She explains that her job is to be the point person for anything reading based and to provide additional support for children struggling with reading skills. 

You’ll find Kasey in the classroom pushing into the classroom and working with a teacher as well as outside the classroom working with small groups of children using her own lessons and planning instruction to support the needs of the students. 

She explains the different programs that are used both in-and-outside the classroom to help students where they are. Assessments are done by Kasey every other week and school-wide three times a year. 

Writing skills are also reinforced and vary depending on the program being taught.

Sometimes kids are writing the words they are learning in a sentence or may be applying the rule or concept that they have just learned. 

Kasey also explains how she works with parents. She’s accessible and wants them to know how their child is progressing with reading and writing. Elizabeth and Kasey also discuss tutoring and support outside of school and what parents may want to do to help support their child’s progress. 

Kasey has a passion for teaching, and she shares how nice it is to be able to work with children from kindergarten through 2nd grade. She’s helping a new generation of readers and writers master important skills and most importantly learn to love reading and writing! 

I hope this has helped you better understand the role of a reading or literacy specialist, and answered a few of your questions about what type of support they provide and how they add to the school.

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