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Online degrees in literacy & reading

Washington state attorney general, Rob McKenna told supporters of the Children's Reading Foundation of Mid Columbia that "children who can't read or read below grade level are a lot likelier to drop out, experience social difficulties and therefore are more likely to be attracted to the wrong lifestyle." There is a mountain of research and anecdotal evidence that "kids who read succeed" and those who don't, or can't, can experience lifelong problems--socially and in the workplace. Teaching children how to read is clearly an investment worth making.

Education in literacy & reading

Reading is the basic foundation upon which higher education is built. The inability to read or to read well is a problem that can be addressed by properly trained teachers. Specializations such as reading literacy, elementary literacy and reading, or literacy curriculum development are available at different degree levels including Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Education, Education Specialist (Ed.S.), Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Teachers can also further specialize in elementary, middle school or secondary school literacy & reading. Online degrees in literacy & reading are great options for teacher education. Online degrees enable teachers to learn while still working in the classroom and sharing ideas online with other teachers nationally and globally--an opportunity for collaboration that can only enhance the educational experience.

Adult literacy & reading is another career opportunity. States have their own requirements for education and licensure for adult education teachers. A bachelor's degree may be sufficient, but the trend is toward requiring a master's degree. Specializations are available in areas such as adult education and literacy or remedial education. Students can also enroll in master's degree programs specifically for Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Graduate certificates in areas such as adult education, reading instruction, literacy and language teaching provide specialized knowledge, especially for teachers who already hold master's degrees in the field, and may be required for reading specialist licensure in some states.

Salaries and job outlook for literacy & reading careers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2010 mean annual wages and 2008-2018 expected job growth data for the following teaching careers:

Elementary school teacher: $54,330 (16 percent growth)
Middle school teacher: $54,880 (15 percent)
Secondary school teacher: $55,990 (9 percent)

Adult basic and secondary education and literacy teachers earned mean annual wages of $51,080; expected job growth in the field is 15 percent. Of the 68,510 teachers in this field in 2010, 24,320 were employed in elementary/secondary schools. Another 17,940 were employed at junior colleges. According to 2009 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress survey, 26 percent of 12th-grade students were considered "below basic" in reading achievement, a figure that hasn't changed substantially in more than 10 years. The need for teachers with expertise in literacy and reading is plainly crucial to improving the education standards of the country.

Literacy & reading at a glance

Literacy & the economy: Improving literacy rates may be a key to a growing economy. For example, illiteracy and low literate workers cost Georgia businesses $7 billion a year, according to Georgia's Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.
Necessary skills: Reading teachers must understand how literacy develops and know a variety of methods to teach reading
Need for literacy professionals: In 2009, 26 percent of 12th-graders read at a "below basic" level, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

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