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Reading Specialist Job Description

What does a Reading Specialist do?

A Reading Specialist is a professional educator who specializes in teaching reading skills and literacy to students of all ages. They work closely with individuals or small groups of students to identify their reading strengths and weaknesses, develop and implement tailored reading plans to help them improve their reading comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. They may also work with classroom teachers to develop reading programs and literacy initiatives and may provide professional development training to help educators improve their teaching methods and student outcomes. In addition, Reading Specialists might also assist in the selection of appropriate reading materials and resources, monitor student progress and offer ongoing support and guidance to students and teachers alike.

Our Reading Specialist job description includes the Reading Specialist responsibilities, duties, skills, education, qualifications, and experience.

Reading Specialist Example


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If you need an example job description for a Reading Specialist download the one below, alternatively we have many other Teacher job description samples and a job description library with over 3000 job descriptions templates that you can download for free.

What does a Reading Specialist do?

The Reading Specialist is responsible for promoting and facilitating reading development in students of all ages. The role involves identifying and assessing reading difficulties, developing and delivering appropriate interventions, and monitoring and evaluating performance. The Reading Specialist will work closely with teachers and other educational professionals to ensure that students receive the best possible support for their reading needs. The Reading Specialist will also work closely with parents to ensure that home reading strategies are in place.

Reading Specialist Role Purpose

The purpose of a Reading Specialist is to support pupils in developing their literacy skills by providing tailored interventions and teaching strategies. This could include delivering one-to-one and small group tuition, setting up and leading literacy initiatives and delivering literacy-related training to school staff. The role also involves providing advice to teachers and parents on how to support pupils with reading difficulties and assessing pupils to identify their literacy needs.

Reading Specialist Role

A Reading Specialist is a professional who is trained to assess, diagnose, and provide instruction to individuals who have difficulty with reading and other related literacy skills. They work with children, adolescents, and adults to help them improve their literacy skills, develop strategies for achieving success in reading, and provide support for families.

Reading Specialist Duties

  • Develop and implement reading programs for individuals or groups of students
  • Assess and diagnose reading difficulties and disabilities
  • Create and teach strategies to improve reading and comprehension
  • Develop and implement individual learning plans for students
  • Provide resources and materials to support student learning
  • Monitor and report student progress
  • Collaborate with other teachers and school staff
  • Attend professional development courses and workshops

Reading Specialist Requirements

  • Good understanding of literacy development
  • Ability to assess and diagnose reading difficulties
  • Experience of developing and implementing reading programmes
  • Knowledge of appropriate teaching techniques
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Reading Specialist Skills

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Knowledge of different literacy strategies
  • Ability to differentiate instruction
  • Experience working with struggling readers
  • Experience delivering professional development

Reading Specialist Personal Traits

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to create a positive learning environment
  • Good organisational and planning skills
  • Ability to assess and identify reading difficulties

How to write a Reading Specialist Job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

A job description informs the reader about a job, whereas a job advert’s main objective is to sell the job opportunity to attract as many suitable applicants possible. A job advert maybe the first touch-point a candidate has with your company so it is important to create a great impression.

Job Advertisements should enticing, so considering using short, exciting language which get the reader’s attention.

How to write a Reading Specialist Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Reading Specialist Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Reading Specialist Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company's culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Reading Specialist

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