Program Overview
The Master of Education in reading is an accelerated online degree program that helps novice and veteran teachers become specialized educators in the areas of reading intervention or dyslexia therapist. Candidates of this program may continue teaching while they learn a multitude of skills, such as diagnosing reading difficulties, developing strategies for vocabulary and comprehension, and teaching children with diverse needs. The program also includes supervised clinical experiences in early intervention, summer reading practicum, and an advanced reading practicum.
There are three degree plans that lead to the M.Ed. in reading at UA Little Rock:
• The standard M.Ed. in reading degree is a 30-hour program designed for teachers who want to fine tune their knowledge of literacy at the elementary, middle school, or secondary level, but who are not interested in serving as a school reading specialist. Students of this program may choose from two concentration areas — intervention or dyslexia therapist.
• The reading specialist degree is a 30-hour program that prepares teachers to work in schools as a certified reading specialist and prepares graduates for the Praxis reading specialist exam, a state-required exam for K-12 licensure in Arkansas. The program is a nationally recognized by the International Literacy Association.
• The reading specialist and dyslexia therapist degree (combination) is a 36-hour program that prepares teachers to become certified as both reading specialists and dyslexia therapists in Arkansas. Teachers will be required to pass the Praxis reading specialist exam and the Praxis PLT exam for licensure.
Program Details
Admission Requirements
Students who wish to pursue this program must meet the following requirements:
• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 (or at least 3.0 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work), or at least a 3.0 GPA in 12 or more hours of graduate course work
All applicants are responsible for securing information related to state licensure as a reading specialist (Arkansas or other state) to ensure that they meet state licensure requirements during or after the completion of coursework toward the degree.
Conditional admission requirements and more details about the program may be found in the program’s academic catalog entry.
UALR Online students are not required to provide proof of two MMR vaccines to the Graduate School.
Read more about the UALR Graduate School’s admissions process here.
Graduation Requirements
The Master of Education in reading is a 30-to-36-hour online degree program.
Participants are required to complete 30 hours of program course work for the standard M.Ed. in reading program, or 36 hours for the Reading Specialist or Reading Specialist + Dyslexia Therapist degree plans. (See degree plans below.)
All students must earn 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average on their program course work. Contact your program advisor for more information about this program.
Degree plans (printer-friendly versions):
• 30-hour M.Ed. in Reading—Intervention; Dyslexia Therapist concentrations (PDF)
• 30-hour M.Ed. in Reading—Reading Specialist (PDF)
• 36-hour M.Ed. in Reading—Reading Specialist + Dyslexia Therapist (PDF)
Program Advisor
Dr. Linda Dorn | 501.569.3479 | ljdorn@ualr.edu
Reading Education Professor
Accreditation
The Master of Education in Reading is nationally recognized by the International Reading Association (IRA) and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
UALR is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, affiliated with the Electronic Campus of the Southern Regional Education Board, and designated as “doctoral/research intensive” by the Carnegie Foundation.
Disabilities
UALR makes every effort to meet special accommodation and access needs. For information on specific accommodations for individuals with disabilities, you may contact the department sponsoring the class you wish to attend, call eLearning at 501.569.3003 or the Office of Disability Support Services at 501.569.3143. The Disability Support Services website, ualr.edu/disability/, provides information about the accommodation process and online forms to apply for services.
Required Courses (9-24 hours)
The 30-hour M.Ed. in reading requires 9 hours of core courses, while the two 36-hour specialist programs require 24 hours of core courses.
30-Hour M.Ed. Program Core (Choose 9 hours)
READ 7351 Foundations of Teaching Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7306 Literacy & Technology (3 credit hours)
READ 7354 Literacy in the Content Areas (3 credit hours)
30-Hour Specialist Program Core (Choose 24 hours)
READ 7351 Foundations of Teaching Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7306 Literacy & Technology (3 credit hours)
READ 7354 Literacy in the Content Areas (3 credit hours)
READ 7352 Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties (3 credit hours)
READ 7356 Practicum in Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7370 Advanced Practicum in Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7357 Seminar in Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7327 Contemporary Curriculum Design (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses (6-9 hours)
Elective courses may include courses from any concentration.
Concentrations within the 30-hour M.Ed. degree plan require 9 elective hours, while the 36-hour Reading Specialist degree plan requires 6 elective hours. No electives are required for the 36-hour Reading Specialist and Dyslexia Therapist degree plan.
Electives (Choose 6-9 hours)
READ 7307 Special Topics in Literacy (3 credit hours)
READ 7321 Processes & Strategies in Reading (3 credit hours)
READ 7330 Children’s Literature Across the Curriculum (3 credit hours)
READ 7342 Principles of Literacy & Cognition I (3 credit hours)
READ 7343 Principles of Literacy & Cognition II (3 credit hours)
READ 7361 Language & Reading Instruction (3 credit hours)
READ 7365 Specialized Assessment in Early Literacy Instruction (3 credit hours)
READ 7395 Comprehensive Literacy Model for School (3 credit hours)
READ 7397 Creating a Literate Environment for Young Learners (3 credit hours)
EDFN 7303 Intro to Educational Research (3 credit hours)
Program Concentration Courses (12-15 hours)
Intervention (Choose 12 hours + 9 hours electives)
READ 7344 Intervention Designs for Struggling Readers (3 credit hours)
READ 7398 Theory and Practice in Literacy (3 credit hours)
READ 7330 Children’s Literature Across the Curriculum (3 credit hours)
READ 7340 Best Practices in Literacy Instruction (3 credit hours)
Dyslexia Therapist (Choose 12 hours + 9 hours electives)
Leads to Arkansas certification as a dyslexia therapist with successful performance on Praxis II.
See also: Dyslexia therapist graduate certificate
READ 7393 Special Topics: Teaching Children with Dyslexia (3 credit hours)
READ 7353 Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties II (3 credit hours)
READ 7385 Formative Assessment and Interventions for Children with Dyslexia (3 credit hours)
READ 7387 Advanced Practicum for Dyslexia Therapists (3 credit hours)
Reading Specialist + Dyslexia Therapist (combination) (Choose 12 hours)
For the 36-hour Reading Specialist and Dyslexia Therapist (combination) degree plan only
