Coach/Specialist Essay

Reading coaches and reading specialists have important roles in schools to support to the

school community and the success of our students. Each role leads to instructional change and

support, increased literacy achievement in students, and fostered collaboration to reach goals set

by schools or teachers. Reading coaches and reading specialists both have unique qualifications

and roles in schools.

Qualifications of a reading coach

Literacy coaches are building leaders who have a strong understanding in literacy,

teaching, and learning. They are leaders who are well qualified to facilitate professional

development for teachers and the school community. Literacy coaches must be trustworthy

so teachers are comfortable collaborating with them even when they teachers are struggling and

failed (Toll, p.11). In Tolls first edition of The Literacy Coachs Survival Guide, she described

a literacy coach as one who helps teachers to recognize what they know and do, assists

teachers as they strengthen their ability to make more effective use of what they know and do,

and supports teachers as they learn and do more (Toll, p.4). This definition shows the

importance of the teachers and the role coaches have to support them to maximize student

achievement. The role of a literacy coach is mainly to be a resource to teachers; however, they

can also provide support to others in the building. In Becoming a Literacy Leader, Allen shares

that being a resource for teachers includes increasing access and circulation of literacy materials.

The coachs role is also to provide instruction to demonstrate to teachers how to effectively teach

literacy skills and strategies. Literacy coaches provide evaluation of students primarily to

demonstrate for teachers or to support teachers in their instructional decision making (Toll,

p.12). Coaches guide instructional decisions based on data, goals the teacher has, etc. Literacy
coaches suggestions and job should be guided by the teachers concerns, what he or she wants

to know more about, and the interests of the teacher through one on one or group meetings.

Qualifications of a reading specialist

Although there are many overlapping characteristics of a reading coach and reading

specialist, reading specialists have specific roles. Reading specialists work with teachers,

however, there greater focus in working with students and data analysis to track student

achievement throughout the school. Reading specialists provide intensive instruction to

struggling readers daily whether it is one on one or small group. They provide their instructional

expertise for prevention or intervention of reading difficulties school wide. According to Toll,

reading specialists provides evaluations of students for a variety of reasons, including

curriculum monitoring, student diagnosis, and monitoring teacher and school effectiveness

(p.12). Reading specialists also work with teachers to discuss meeting school or division literacy

requirements and help implement and guide mandatory programs. Their role also includes

supporting and modeling effective literacy teaching in classrooms. This calls for collaborating

between the specialist and the teacher to see what the concerns are in the classroom and showing

skills and strategies.

History of changing roles

Throughout the years, there has been a changing role of reading specialists. The original

Title I funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was put

into place to increase reading achievement in low income schools in the United States. The Title

I teacher, who was the reading specialist, pulled out struggling readers for intervention. There

was found to be little success in these programs because of the lack of instruction catered to

classroom teachers. In 2000, Congress reissued Title I as part of the act, however added
components of it to benefit all students. These included that teachers must be highly qualified to

teach reading, instructional strategies and programs to teach reading must be research based, and

effective assessment techniques must be used to drive and monitor progress of all students (Dole,

2004). Based on these changes, reading specialists shifted from just providing pull out

instruction to still providing supplemental instruction, however, providing support to the school

through coaching and professional development.

The position I would choose

Learning more about each role, I could see myself in the role of both a reading specialist

and a reading coach. Exploring the role as a reading coach, I love the relationships that are built

between the teacher and the coach. The coachs support is based off of the teachers needs,

concerns, goals, and interests. The goal is there to be a resource and a guide to better and

effective literacy instruction. I would like to be in a role where I can be that for teachers.

I would also like to be on the reading specialist side and work with students. Throughout

the RLL program I have loved collecting data for students, analyzing it, guiding my instruction

based on the data, and seeing the progress made after that intervention time. Tracking and

analyzing school wide data is something that would interest me. Also still being able to work and

support teachers appeals to me. Reading specialists are still working with teachers, just not as

frequently as they work with students.

I could see myself in the role of a reading specialist or reading coach in my future. This

class has already allowed be to dig deeper and learn more about each qualifications of each role.

Being a literacy leader in the school is something I strive to be- whether that is a classroom

teacher, reading coach, or reading specialist.

 References

Allen, J. (2016). Becoming a literacy leader (2nd ed.). Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

Dole, J. (2004) The changing role of he reading specialist in school reform. The Reading Teacher.

57, 5.

Toll, C. (2014). The literacy coachs survival guide: Essential questions and practical answers (2nd

ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.