Becoming a Reading Specialist

I saw on the newspapers that the Ministry of Education wanted suitable qualified teachers to pursue a Masters in Education in Reading to become a Reading Specialist in order to deal with the reading problems in schools. As a teacher with ten years experience, I believe that the reading problem in Trinidad is really grave. I have tried to assist struggling readers with commercial programs which worked to some extent. However, a major limitation of these programmes is that they are not designed to be child specific. So when I heard of the Ministry's resolve to train Reading Specialists to combat the reading problems in schools, I was delighted. No longer would I have to rely on general, commercial programs. I will be able to diagnose a child, determine which reading level he or she is at, identify specific reading problem areas, and provide research-based solutions to improve his or her reading.

If a child is unable to read, he is handicapped in this technological, literacy based world which translates to not being able to read signs while walking down the street or order food from a menu, read the newspaper, follow the instructions to begin using a product that he or she bought or prepare a delicious meal from a recipe, enjoy a novel or pursue higher education. Someone told me once, "In the beginning we learn to read but now we read to learn." I remember a novel I once read about the teacher who could not read and the pain and anguish he went through on a daily basis to hide his handicap from the world. Children do suffer when they cannot read. Being a Reading Specialist will empower me to help struggling readers reach for the stars.