Master of Education in Reading

These fully-online programs provide opportunities for participants to gain deep knowledge of literacy development PreK-12 as well as the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to implement evidence-based, inclusive, culturally-responsive practices using high-quality instructional materials and assessments.

Participants will learn to navigate the tensions in the field to ensure effective instruction for all students. Professional development design, collaboration, and coaching are also emphasized to prepare participants to become literacy leaders and advocates at the local and state levels. 

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Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the MEd in Reading can expect:

  • Collaboration with faculty who are expert reading practitioners as well as fellow classmates who teach at all grade levels.
  • A 150-hour practicum conducted at your school, providing teaching and research experience in a school setting. Assistance with practicum placement if you are not currently teaching.
  • Evening, Saturday and hybrid courses (partially online) that allow students to typically complete the program in two calendar years. Most students continue in the sequence with fellow classmates, creating a cohort-like group.

Program Overview

Courses in the program will help students develop an understanding of reading and writing processes, enhance classroom reading instruction, assess reading difficulties and intervene instructionally, use literature in reading and language arts programs, and carry out teacher leadership roles in reading. One hundred and fifty hours of supervised fieldwork are required of those pursuing the Specialist Teacher of Reading license. The program meets MDESE regulations for initial licensure as a Specialist Teacher of Reading and is fully accredited by NCATE and the International Reading Association. 

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and substitute (DESE) requires: 

  • Teachers seeking the Initial Specialist Teacher of Reading License must have at least an Initial Teaching License and at least one year of experience under that license.
  • Students must supply verification of at least one year of teaching experience in the role and grade level of their initial license upon completion of the program.
  • A passing score on the MTEL Specialist Teacher of Reading license is required for the practicum.*

* The practicum is 150 hours and is usually completed in the student's own classroom. The program meets the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations for initial licensure as a Specialist Teacher of Reading, as well as the International Library Association Reading Interventionist and Coaching standards. 

Students can select from three program options:

  • MEd Reading, Specialist Teacher of Reading License (36 credit hours)
  • Licensure Only, Specialist Teacher of Reading (21-30 credit hours)
  • MEd Reading, Curriculum and Instruction (36 credit hours)

Sample Courses

  • Literacy Learning: History, Theory and Research
  • Reading and Writing in the Content Areas
  • Teaching Students to Write (Pre K-12)
  • Literacy Assessment (All levels)
  • Literacy Intervention Strategies (All levels)
  • Literacy, Language and Diversity
  • Literacy Leadership, Collaboration and Coaching
  • Practicum for the Reading Specialist (2)
  • Literature for Children OR Literature for Young Adults 

Undergraduate institution/major: Boston College/Double Major in Elementary Education and Human Developmental Psychology

Richard M. Giso ’04G 

Undergraduate institution/major: Boston College/Double Major in Elementary Education and Human Developmental Psychology 

Rich currently teaches grades one and two at the Carlton Innovation School in Salem, Massachusetts and is an instructor in the Masters in Education in elementary education and reading programs at Salem State.

Richard M. Giso, a 2004 graduate of the Masters in Reading program at Salem State, poses for a photo.

"I chose Salem State for a number of reasons. A lot of my colleagues attended Salem State, and they spoke highly of the coursework in reading. Salem State was also an affordable option for me. I was particularly drawn to the practicum portion of the reading program, which prepared me to be a better classroom literacy teacher, a successful reading specialist and Title 1 interventionist, and a literacy coach for my school and district. In all of these roles, my experience as a student and now as an instructor has been shaped by my wonderful education at Salem State."

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