As an educator, you know that reading and writing are the cornerstones of success—in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life.

Walden’s Reading K–12 Endorsement program prepares you to broaden your teaching capabilities and impact to become a skilled reading and literacy instructor.*

In this graduate-level program, you will:

  • Explore how to diagnose reading difficulties using a variety of literacy assessments.
  • Learn how to design and deliver effective literacy instruction to a diverse student population.
  • Discover how to collaborate with parents, staff, and other stakeholders to implement literacy-related initiatives.
  • Participate in supervised fieldwork to prepare for the specific challenges of reading instruction.
  • Benefit from curriculum informed by the International Reading Association, the latest reading research, and Dr. Dorothy Strickland, one of the foremost literacy experts.

The Reading K–12 Endorsement program at Walden takes you beyond teaching basic literacy skills to practices that engage students in active reading, critical thinking, and thoughtful writing. Through this endorsement program, you can earn a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) with a specialization in Reading and Literacy with a Reading K–12 Endorsement by taking four additional courses.

Gain a general understanding of the guidelines and requirements of the Reading K-12 Endorsement program with the Reading K-12 Endorsement Candidate Guidebook (abridged version). After you download the guidebook, please call 1-866-492-5336 to speak with your enrollment advisor for assistance in reviewing the information.

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  • “Reading and literacy continue to be at the forefront of educational policies, initiatives, and spending. Walden’s Reading K–12 Endorsement is a relevant and timely program designed to help teachers expand their skill sets, pave the way for new career opportunities, and most importantly, make a greater impact in the classroom.”

    Dr. Kate Steffens
    Dean
    The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership

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Completion Requirements

  • 19 total semester credit hours
    • Foundation course (3 sem. cr.)
    • Core courses (12 sem. cr.)
    • 4 clinical practica (4 sem. cr.)
  • Virtual Field Experience (VFE®)
  • Completion and review of ePortfolio

Estimated time to completion is 12 months. Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

*Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.

Walden University’s endorsement programs are approved by the Minnesota Board of Teaching for endorsement or add-on licensure in Minnesota. Candidates for this program must already hold a valid K–12 teaching license. Walden’s enrollment advisors can provide individuals with guidelines and other information about endorsements. It remains the individual’s responsibility to understand and comply with the out-of-state endorsement requirements for the state in which he or she seeks to be endorsed.

  • Foundations of Reading: Theory, Research, and Practice

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    An effective reading teacher possesses comprehensive knowledge of the components of reading and applies this knowledge to instructional practice. Education professionals will explore the domains of development as they pertain to K–12 literacy instruction and research and explore the impact of research-based practices on literacy development. Language development and its relationship to the progression of reading development, including variations related to cultural, linguistic, and academic diversity, will be examined. Education professionals will investigate current issues in literacy education, including the reading achievement gap, brain research, standards and accountability, and new perspectives on 21st century skills and digital literacy learning.

  • Assessment and Instruction to Promote Literacy Development

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    Literacy development is a complex process involving a profusion of skills and strategies in several critical areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and writing. This course focuses on assessment and instruction to promote literacy development in these areas.  Education professionals will learn how to use a variety of assessments to determine the literacy needs of emergent, beginning, developing, intermediate, and advanced readers, taking into consideration linguistic, cultural, and academic diversity. They will also examine a multitude of research-based instructional strategies to promote literacy development and apply them based on assessment results, student observations, and knowledge of students’ readiness, interests, learning preferences, and linguistic and cultural identities. The use of digital text, electronic resources, and critical literacies will be emphasized.

  • Clinical Experience 1

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    This is an 8-week course taken concurrently with the methods course EDUC 6632 - Assessment and Instruction to Promote Literacy Development. Both courses align to Minnesota Reading Teacher standards. Education professionals read and view standards-based learning resources, and discuss and apply learning objectives in the methods course. Concurrently, they implement the Literacy Assessment and Instructional Plan (LAIP) project in their clinical setting. The LAIP is designed to bring the course learning and weekly application of the learning into focus via implementation of various assessments with different learners and creation of an instructional plan.

  • Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking in Content Disciplines

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    Reading for information in expository text is essential for learning—in school, in the workplace, and in life. The focus of this course is on developing literacy across the disciplines through a wide range of instructional methods, materials, and practices, including flexible grouping, and the selection of texts and other materials, such as digital tools and online resources that match the cognitive, cultural, and linguistic needs of literacy learners. Education professionals learn strategies for promoting disciplinary literacy across developmental levels, proficiencies, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds. High-quality literature that meets the interests and needs of all readers and represents various cultures, genres, and text structures, and assists students in making connections and bringing relevance to content courses across disciplines will be examined. The integration of information and communication technologies and 21st century literacy skills will be highlighted.

  • Clinical Experience 2

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    This is an 8-week course taken concurrently with the methods course EDUC 6633 - Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking in Content Disciplines. Both courses are aligned to Minnesota Reading Teacher standards. Education professionals read and view standards-based learning resources, and discuss and apply learning objectives in the methods course. Concurrently, they implement the Content Literacy Lesson Plan (CLLP) project in their clinical setting. During the CLLP project, education professionals apply their knowledge and skills in planning, implementing, assessing, and reflecting upon the implementation of three lesson plans designed to address students’ literacy needs across content areas.

  • Assessment and Intervention for Students with Reading Difficulties

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    The ability to effectively diagnose reading difficulties and determine appropriate interventions is at the heart of what it means to be a reading teacher. This course presents the purposes, strengths, and limitations of a wide variety of assessment instruments. Education professionals learn how to select and administer appropriate tools for diagnosis and progress monitoring, and interpret results related to individual students, class/groups, and school. Assessment data are used to plan differentiated instruction for students at different developmental stages, and from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Education professionals use assessment data to develop interventions that target specific student needs and select materials, instructional strategies, and other resources needed to implement appropriate interventions. Effective practices for communicating assessment results to students, parents/caregivers, colleagues, and administrators are addressed.

  • Clinical Experience 3

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    This is an 8-week course taken concurrently with the methods course EDUC 6634 - Assessment and Intervention for Students With Reading Difficulties. Both courses are aligned to Minnesota Reading Teacher standards. Education professionals read and view standards-based learning resources, and discuss and apply learning objectives in the methods course. Concurrently, they implement the Struggling Reader Case Study (SRCS) project in their clinical setting. The SRCS is designed to bring the course learning and weekly application of the learning into focus via implementation of various assessments with one learner who struggles with reading tasks and create an intervention plan.

  • Guiding and Supporting School Literacy Environments

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    The reading teacher serves as a knowledgeable resource throughout the school or district. This course gives education professionals the knowledge and skills to work with staff, students, and others to create a vibrant literacy environment that promotes a vision of literacy for all children building upon their linguistic, cultural, and academic diversity. Education professionals learn how to use school assessment data to determine appropriate supports for students and staff, including Response to Intervention (RTI), leadership activities, and intervention programs that incorporate foundational knowledge and effective practices. Approaches to providing teacher professional development and to managing and improving school-wide literacy initiatives, including the integration of technology tools and resources, will be emphasized.

  • Clinical Experience 4

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    This is an 8-week course taken concurrently with the methods course EDUC 6689 - Guiding and Supporting School Literacy Environments. Both courses are aligned to Minnesota Reading Teacher standards. Education professionals read and view standards-based learning resources, and discuss and apply learning objectives in the methods course. Concurrently, they implement the School-wide Literacy Project (SLP) in their clinical setting. The SLP is designed to bring the course learning and weekly application of the learning into focus via creation of a school-wide improvement plan, implementation of an initial action step, and evaluation of results of the action step in terms of student learning.
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Next State Date is July 1. Apply Now

2012-2013

Curriculum Component    Requirements Cost
Courses 19 total semester credit hours $490 per semester credit hour
(includes course textbooks and materials)
Technology Fee per semester $150

2013-2014 (Effective May 6, 2013)

Curriculum Component    Requirements Cost
Courses 19 total semester credit hours $500 per semester credit hour
(includes course textbooks and materials)
Technology Fee per semester $150

Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Call 1-866-492-5336 for information about a full range of options for:

The Reading K-12 Endorsement helps candidates achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Literacy Development: The teacher of reading analyzes and applies reading and writing developmental stages and processes as well as physical, social, emotional, cognitive, moral dimensions and environmental factors that impact literacy development in order to provide literacy learning opportunities that support student development.
  2. Diverse Literacy Learners: The teacher of reading analyzes how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates a positive and motivational literate environment that contributes to the success of all learners, including students with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, students who are identified as gifted and talented, and students who have reading difficulties.
  3. Literacy Instructional Strategies: The teacher of reading applies a variety of instructional methods and strategies including differentiated instruction, the study of different genres and text structures, and the use of digital and online tools and resources to encourage student development of critical- thinking, problem-solving, and literacy- performance skills.
  4. Literacy Assessment and Planning: The teacher of reading uses formal and informal assessment strategies to diagnose and ensure continuous literacy development of students as well as uses assessment data to inform the development of literacy curriculum and instruction at the classroom and school levels.
  5. Literacy Reflective Practice and Professional Growth: The teacher of reading is a reflective practitioner who evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
  6. Literacy Leadership and Collaboration: The teacher of reading serves as a resource to other teachers and collaborates with parents, staff, and other stakeholders to help implement literacy-related initiatives, such as school and district reading programs, instructional and behavioral interventions, language development approaches, special education processes, textbook adoptions, and data-driven decision making.

Walden is committed to providing the information you need to make an informed decision about where you pursue your education. Please find below detailed information for the Reading K-12 Endorsement program relating to the types of occupations this program may lead to, completion rate, program costs, and median loan debt of students who have graduated from this program.

Occupations
Program Completion Rate
Program Costs
Median Loan Debt

Occupations— This program generally prepares students for the types of occupations listed below. For more information on these specific occupations, visit www.onetonline.org.

In addition to this list, there are other career options that graduates of this program may choose to pursue. To enter certain professions, students may need to satisfy specific additional requirements established by state and/or professional organizations in addition to completing their program.

View examples of our student and alumni accomplishments in their chosen fields.

Occupation Name* Occupation Code*
Elementary and Middle School Teachers 25-2020
Secondary School Teachers 25-2030

*The “occupation name” is a general job title. “Occupation code” refers to the U.S. Bureau of  Labor Statistics’ Standard Occupation Classification.

Program Completion—The program completion rate for July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, is not available because this program was not yet offered.

Program Costs—The total program costs are the estimated average costs over the duration of the program, excluding any scholarship or tuition reductions, for students completing the program on time. These costs can vary based on the number of credits. Typically, tuition and fees are subject to change annually.

Expense   Cost
Tuition and Fees $9,700
Books and Supplies $0
Room and Board Not applicable

View cost per credit in the Tuition and Fees section.

Median Loan Debt—The median loan debt for July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, is not available because this program was not yet offered.

Developing literacy is an educational priority and a moral imperative in every classroom, school, and district. Walden’s Reading K–12 Endorsement program is designed to help teaching professionals develop the knowledge and skills to become a licensed reading instructor.

This graduate-level program can help prepare you for a variety of positions,* including:

  • Elementary, Middle School and Secondary School Reading Teacher

For assistance in deciding which program fits your goals, request information or speak with an enrollment advisor by calling 1- 866-492-5336. A list of international toll-free phone numbers is available for students outside the United States.

*Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.

As a student in Walden’s Minnesota state-approved Reading K–12 Endorsement program,* you will participate in four, one-credit clinical experience courses in tandem with your online coursework. During these courses, you will be required to spend a minimum of 15 hours in classrooms working with K–12 students. The hours can be spread out across eight weeks.

If you are currently teaching, two of the clinical experiences can take place in a grade-level setting where you currently teach (e.g. elementary, middle, or high school), which meets Minnesota criteria for licensure. The other two courses must occur at the other levels.

These practica provide you with opportunities to apply your newly acquired knowledge and skills in a real-world, hands-on setting. You will work with a cooperating teacher who holds current credentials in the licensure area that you are pursuing to coordinate this practicum experience. A Walden faculty supervisor will observe and evaluate you during your practicum.

To learn more about this practicum experience, call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

*Not applicable in all states. Walden University’s endorsement programs are approved by the Minnesota Board of Teaching for endorsement or add-on licensure in Minnesota. Candidates for this program must already hold a valid K–12 teaching license. Walden’s enrollment advisors can provide individuals with guidelines and other information about endorsements. It remains the individual’s responsibility to understand and comply with the out-of-state endorsement requirements for the state in which he or she seeks to be endorsed.

For assistance in deciding which specialization fits your goals, request information or speak with an enrollment advisor by calling 1-866-492-5336. A list of international toll-free phone numbers is available for students outside the United States.