LS Reading Specialist

Description

The Reading Specialist works one-on-one and in small groups to improve students’ decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills and with teachers and administrators to recommend intervention.   

The Kinkaid School is a co-educational non-sectarian day school enrolling 1,400 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.   Located on a sixty-five-acre campus in the heart of Houston, Texas, the school offers a thriving intellectual community in the midst of a vibrant, urban, diverse culture.  With an enrollment just above 400 students, the Lower School fosters a learning environment centered on innovation, creativity and personal attention.  Teachers in each grade work as a close-knit team to support each other and collaborate on curriculum development.  They are assisted by learning specialists in art, science, reading, music and physical education and have access to generous resources including material and supplies, state of the art technology and regular professional development seminars, which occur both on and off campus. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Advisory

• Observe readers in the classroom, upon request.
• Support teachers with classroom intervention strategies, including reviewing students' classroom assessments and work, identifying goals and developing plans, following up on students' growth and progress.
• Assist teachers in selecting appropriate materials for intervention and support.
• Conduct screenings and assessments, upon request.
• Provide demonstrations of new methods and materials.
• With the administrative team, review and interpret results of psycho-educational testing.
• Communicate with parents and outside learning professionals to support student needs.
• Participate in parent meetings surrounding recommendation for and interpretation of psycho-educational testing.

Remediation

• Provide for remedial instructional needs of students through small group instruction, collaboration with classroom teachers, and professional development in reading.
• Assess the reading referrals of teachers and parents.
• Assess students using a variety of measures to determine appropriate placement and specific instructional needs.
• Based on dynamic student needs, utilize programmatic resources such as Orton-Gillingham-based reading instruction to support differentiated small groups.
• Communicate regularly with the administrative team and classroom teachers about student progress and growth.

Curriculum

• Serve as a resource to the administrative team and teachers in the areas of reading instruction and curriculum.
• Share knowledge of and experience with the implementation of literacy curricula and instructional practices.
• Actively participate on the Lower School Literacy Committee.
• Assist with the planning and delivery of parent workshops and informational sessions involving reading.
• Support before and after school extension activities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree, required
• Reading Specialist Certification and/or CALT or CALT-in-Training, preferred.
• A minimum of three years of experience as an elementary school Reading Specialist, preferably at a private school
• A minimum of three years of classroom teaching experience
• Breadth of experience across grade levels in an elementary setting
• Knowledge of and fluency with a range of formal assessment tools
• Experience with sustained, small group reading intervention
• Experience supporting faculty with student intervention and support
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Core knowledge of the development of primary-age school children
• A collegial attitude and demonstrated ability to work in teams
• A record of continuous professional development and teaching excellence
• Exemplifies Kinkaid’s four core values (honesty, responsibility, respect, and kindness) in interactions with all members of the community

The Kinkaid School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law, The Kinkaid School complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Submit all correspondence including your cover letter, resume, and application through The Kinkaid School application portal. Please no emails or phone calls to submit your candidacy or show interest.