Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course develops students' understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the teacher of reading, reading specialist, and literacy coach. Emphasis is on the nature of specific reading difficulties, distinguishing reading difficulty/disability from language and literacy diversity and variation, becoming familiar with a range of tools for assessing reading skills and strategies, and developing a critical orientation for evaluating the purpose and utility of various literacy assessment tools. Candidates will use informal and formal literacy assessments to guide instructional planning and case study writing.