Reading Endorsement K–8 and 6–12; School Library Media Specialist
Reading Endorsement K–8 and 6–12
Advanced Literacy
Understand reading development across grades, adolescent literacy, disciplinary literacy, and intervention for struggling readers. Know how text complexity, vocabulary, and comprehension vary by discipline.
Assessment and Instruction
Use informal and formal assessments to diagnose needs, plan intervention, and monitor progress. Support academic language, writing, and motivation.
Traps
Do not apply elementary decoding strategies to secondary students who need comprehension and disciplinary support. Avoid relying on a single assessment. Questions may ask for the most appropriate intervention based on data.
Worked example
A high school biology student reads fluently but cannot explain a textbook section. The issue is likely comprehension and academic vocabulary, not decoding. The teacher should use text structure, vocabulary support, and guided questioning.
Rule of thumb
Match the literacy strategy to the reader’s grade level, discipline, and assessed need.
School Library Media Specialist
Collection and Access
Understand collection development, selection criteria, weeding, cataloging, classification, and intellectual freedom. Know how to build a diverse, inclusive, and curriculum-aligned collection.
Information Literacy and Technology
Teach inquiry, source evaluation, digital citizenship, research skills, and ethical use of information. Collaborate with teachers to integrate information literacy across subjects.
Copyright and Policy
Know copyright, fair use, licensing, and privacy basics. Distinguish selection (professional judgment) from censorship (removing materials to suppress ideas).
Traps
Fair use is not unlimited; questions may test its four factors. Avoid choosing a response that removes a challenged book solely because of a complaint. Know the difference between a library media specialist’s instructional role and administrative censorship.
Worked example
A student finds a website with no author or date. The specialist should guide the student to check authority, accuracy, currency, and bias-not simply reject all web sources.
Rule of thumb
Promote access, teach evaluation, and follow policy; do not confuse selection with censorship.