Emily Duke

Read 680
Coach/Specialist Essay
Becoming a Literacy Leader is on the mind of many reading specialist and reading
coaches in todays schools. A lot of teachers tend to think that if they need a reading specialist or
coach that they are doing something wrong in their literacy instruction, when in fact they are
actually trying to get better and improve themselves for the sake of their students (Washington
Education Association). Literacy coaches and reading specialists are there to help the teachers
help the students and it is important for them to recognize that they, affect the teachers that
affect the students (Former School Improvement Network). It is also important for reading
coaches and specialists to understand that they should be widely available in order to help
teachers with their instruction and to use intervention on students whenever necessary.
Although reading specialists and reading coaches have a lot in common, there a few
differences between the two. Reading specialists are professionals who are assigned to specific
schools and districts to help teachers with understanding the best intervention practices with
students who need it most. It is up to the reading specialist to move from classroom to classroom
to get students who need help so that they can intervene with them on a one-on-one basis. When
doing this, they assess the students to collect data and then in turn use this for planning
intervention instruction and activities. Reading specialists help students to achieve higher scores
while also improving their overall reading abilities, a good reading specialist may not only help
a school increase its overall test scores in reading, but promote an environment where reading is
seen as an exciting thing to do (What Does a Reading Specialist Do?). While reading coaches
are very similar to reading specialists, they actually focus more on the teachers literacy abilities

and instruction. A reading coach is a branch of a reading specialist and they are in schools to
provide professional development to teachers and their colleagues. Reading coaches plan
instructional guidance and train teachers on how to best deliver their instruction to help their
students. They do not just come in and try to fix the classroom teacher, rather they collaborate
and work with them to come-up with the best instructional practices that would be best suited in
that teachers particular classroom, I have never seen my role as that of fixer in supporting
teaching, instead I strive to create conditions and conversations where teachers can get the
support they need (Allen, 94). Overall, reading specialists and coaches are in the schools
helping teachers become better literacy instructors and helping students to become better, wellrounded readers and writers.
As I am a full-time graduate student, I am not currently in a school to be able to see the
roles a literacy coach or literacy specialist are taking part in. Thinking back to student teaching
though, I do remember a reading specialist who was very involved in the curriculum and with the
teachers. Mrs. Williams stayed purely at the primary school to help out in grades kindergarten
through second and was very much needed because a lot of literacy instruction is taking place in
these grades. Throughout my time in student teaching I remember seeing her a lot because she
was always in and out of the classroom, always had students with her, and she was at all the team
meetings. Mrs. Williams was very available to her team of teachers and was constantly updating
the teachers on the progress of their students. Not only did she do those things, but she had a
great working relationship with the teachers as well. Mrs. Williams was widely liked by the
teachers, which made it easy for them to listen to her suggestions and also easy for her to pull the
students she needed to pull. Seeing a reading specialist in their role was a pretty eye-opening

experience and she definitely influenced me on my decision to get my masters degree in

reading!
In order to be able to make a difference in the school as reading specialist, reading coach,
or literacy teacher, one must meet to correct qualifications to do so. Reading specialist and
reading coaches must be able to work with any grade level including kindergarten all the way up
to twelfth grade. These coaches and specialists need to put effort and time into researching the
best instructional and intervention methods in order to have teachers teach better and for student
to produce better work and scores. Also, these coaches and specialists must be very organized.
Reading specialists are always on the move from one classroom to another and in order to keep
their meetings on time, they must be organized and ready to go. Reading coaches must also
obtain this vital skill as well because they have teachers relying on them for help or professional
development, although I try to be responsive to teachers needs, I work them in around my
scheduled times of working in the literacy rooms, teachers that I am currently coaching or
assisting, and my preset study group meeting times (Allen, 139). Throughout the day both
reading specialists and reading coaches are needed in multiple areas of the school, let it be to do
one-on-one intervention with a student, updating a teacher on a students progress, helping a
teacher plan a literacy instruction block, providing professional development, or listening to the
concerns of the classroom teachers. Both must be flexible and be ready to help the teacher help
their students. Another person who also has influence in the literacy world of education is the
literacy teacher. This teacher must be prepped and ready to teach to their grade level while
differentiating materials and instruction to fit the needs of all the learners in their class. This
teacher must be proficient in literacy and be up-to-date with the most current and best literacy
practices. Also, the literacy teacher should take the time to assess their students, implement

small groups, and be available for one-on-one help and instruction. Throughout all three
positions, it is important to realize that whether they are helping the teacher or the student, that in
the end it is about differentiating material and instruction in order to reach students who struggle
with literacy.
As time has progressed, the role of a literacy coach and a reading specialist has changed.
In todays school systems they are looked to as a way of guidance for instruction and
intervention. One of the biggest changes to this role through time is assisting teachers with
professional development, as limitations of the traditional model of professional development
have persisted and the stakes for student learning have increased, many school systems have
turned to coaching to facilitate professional development and foster teacher change (Miller,
Stewart, 291). As time continues though, I feel the role of a reading specialists and reading
coach will be ever changing. I believe in the future that the reading specialist and classroom
teacher will become more intertwined in the general curriculum and that teachers will look to
them more for guidance. If I had to choose which I would like to be, I would choose to be a
reading specialist. I love the having that one-on-one interaction with the students and helping
them progress to a literacy related goal. Also, I would love to be a reading specialist because I
would be making a difference in how a student views literacy by helping them to become wellrounded readers and writers. On the other hand, I feel both the reading specialist and reading
coach equally help the teachers and students throughout their schools by providing professional
development and intervention.

Works Cited
Allen, Jennifer (2006). Becoming a Literacy Leader. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.
Former School Improvement Network Channel. (2009, March 29). Instructional Coaching: Staff
Development for Improved Teacher and Student Learning. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi8aUNCbcP8
Miller, S., Stewart, A. (2013). Literacy Learning through Team Coaching. Retrieved from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.1219/abstract
Washington Education Association. (2010, July 26). What Does an Instructional Coach Do?.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DIM2ypSIXI
What Does a Reading Specialist Do?. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.masters-in-specialeducation.com/faq/reading-specialist/