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College of Education

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Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Academic Information

This graduate certificate program provides you with in-depth skills and tools to diagnose and remediate reading difficulties in students K-8 classrooms. In addition, the program also prepares students to lead school and district wide reading programs. The required course work leading to the certificate is approved by the Arizona Department of Education for ADE's Reading Specialist Endorsement.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Careers

What Can I Do with a Reading Specialist K-8 Certificate?

This certificate program provides teachers with knowledge of student reading disabilities and challenges students face learning to read. Diagnostic tools are covered in detail and are used as part of an intervention plan developed to maximize student success in learning to read. Reading Specialists can custom design interventions that work with students. While the course work has a K-8 focus, reading specialists provide leadership and technical knowledge in classrooms, schools, districts, committees and community organizations.

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

reading specialist at a district, school, or classroom level
providing leadership tgo community literacy groups

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

University Requirements

- Graduate certificate programs require a minimum of 12 credit hours. Many graduate certificate programs require more than 12 credit hours.
- No more than one 400-level NAU course (3 - 4 units) may be used on a graduate certificate program.
- No more than twenty-five percent of the units required for the certificate program may be transferred from another university.
- A 400-level course (undergraduate course) completed at another university is not eligible for transfer credit.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved to obtain a graduate certificate. No more than three units of coursework with a Grade of "C" may be used in a certificate program.
- A graduate student may pursue a graduate certificate concurrently with a graduate degree. Each graduate degree program must decide which, if any, certificate courses can be counted toward the graduate degree.
- Students who are admitted to a graduate certificate program will be eligible for the official posting of the graduate certificate to their transcripts when all applicable coursework has been successfully completed and approved by the academic unit and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Federal financial aid is not available for some certificates if the certificate is pursued and completed as a stand-alone certificate (i.e., not completed concurrently with a degree program). See the “Details” tab for additional information.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion	24
Additional Admission Requirements	Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Arizona Endorsement	May prepare student for Arizona Endorsement.
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Fieldwork Experience/Internship is required.
Some online/blended coursework	Required

Purpose Statement

This new academic plan is within the continuing professional master's in education elementary level coursework. Reading, along with math, is one of the most important skills being taught in elementary school classroom. Due to a number of challenges such as second language learners, low socio-economic families with limited resources, and learning disabilities, many young children experience a great deal of difficulty breaking the "code" of reading. The demand for reading specialists in Arizona is very high. The course work provided in this certificate program provides skills for diagnosis and remediation as well as reading program supervision for a school wide effort. ECI 551 Clinical Practice in Reading is a hands-on practical component that requires working with students in classrooms through the diagnosis and remediation process. Courses are taken in a sequential order because the theoretical as well as foundational background must be mastered before these teacher graduate students can effectively identify, diagnose and apply effective remedies for students who are struggling to read. The capstone, ECI 687 requires a Reading Action Research project in each teacher's classroom. Practicing elementary and middle school teachers and their students are the populations best served by this program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

understand and apply phonemic awareness and specific phonic elements and methods of teaching and assessing phonic knowledge in the instruction of reading
understand and be able to use theories of language acquisition and reading instruction including bilingual and bicultural considerations in the reading classroom
understand and be able to apply principles, methods, specialized materials and diagnostic tests for use in the remediation of basic reading skill deficiencies with struggling readers utilizing clinical experience in test administration
use diagnostic testing, case studies, and clinical report writing with a clinical practicum experience and then in their own classrooms tutoring children with serious disabilities in reading
be able to identify types, genres, and characteristics of literature written for children and their practical uses in the K-8 classroom
be familiar with the current trends in modern language arts instruction
be able to critically look at reading curriculum in light of the range of philosophies, personalities, and pedagogical issues in reading and language-arts instruction
be able to create, maintain, lead and evaluate reading programs for kindergarten through 8th grade, including staffing, politics and training as well as finances and continually evaluating strengths and weaknesses of the program

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Details

Graduate Admission Information

The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Admission requirements include the following:
- Transcripts.
- Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

Ready to apply? Begin your application now.
International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

- A valid Arizona Teaching Certificate in Elementary, Early Childhood, or Special Education
- Three years of classroom experience

Certificate Requirements

Take the following 24 units with a GPA of 3.0.
- Foundations (3 units):
  - ECI 531
- Leadership (3 units):
  - ECI 661 (3 units)
- Assessment Systems (6 units):
  - ECI 541, ECI 687
- Instruction - Select one from the following (3 units):
  - ECI 642
  - ECI 671
- Content (3 units):
  - ECI 530
- Electives - Select one from the following (3 units):
  - ECI 602
  - ECI 651
- Practicum (3 units):
  - ECI 551

This certificate may be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. Under both circumstances, federal financial aid can be used for this certificate.

Additional Information

Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

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Academic Information
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College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Academic Information

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Careers

What Can I Do with a Reading Specialist K-8 Certificate?

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

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Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

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Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

Overview

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Department of Teaching and Learning

Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

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Reading Specialist K-8 Path to Certification, Graduate Certificate

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