Reading Therapist Program
The program is designed to equip professionals with the specialized skills needed to support children facing literacy challenges. This program is ideal for individuals dedicated to helping students overcome difficulties in reading, comprehension, writing, and spelling including dyslexia, dysnomia, hyperlexia, cacographia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dysorthographia, that go beyond traditional instruction. Children who struggle with these skills often experience frustration and low self-esteem, impacting their academic performance and overall well-being. The program emphasizes the importance of individualized interventions and practical therapy knowledge, ensuring that individuals receive the best possible support to enhance their literacy skills and overall development. Reading therapy can make a profound difference in their lives, providing them with the tools they need to succeed academically and develop a love for reading.
Roles and Responsibilities
Reading therapists play a critical role in addressing literacy-related difficulties. They are responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments to diagnose reading and writing challenges. Using a variety of tools and protocols, they develop individualized intervention plans tailored to each child’s unique needs. Reading therapists focus on enhancing phonological, morphological, semantic, and syntactic processing skills, ensuring that children can decode words, understand text, and express their thoughts effectively. They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create supportive learning environments and advocate for the needs of their students.
Practical Therapy Knowledge and Intervention Skills
Trainees will gain practical knowledge and intervention skills essential for effective practice. The program covers techniques for improving phonemic awareness, decoding skills, reading fluency, comprehension strategies, and writing abilities. Trainees learn to use evidence-based teaching methods and adaptive strategies to support children with diverse learning styles. The program also includes training in the use of assistive technologies and various assessment tools including Ekwall-Shanker Reading Inventory, Bader Reading and Language Inventory, Neale Analysis of Reading, Renfrew Scales, and error-pattern & miscue analysis to evaluate and profile children with language difficulties. By mastering these skills, reading therapists are well-prepared to implement individualized, impactful interventions that promote literacy development.
Who Needs to Be Trained as Reading Therapists?
Training to become a reading therapist is essential for a wide range of professionals involved in the education and support of children with literacy and language difficulties. General and special education teachers can greatly benefit from this training, enabling them to support students in mainstream and special education settings effectively. Speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and occupational therapists also find this training invaluable as it enhances their ability to address the educational aspects of their practice. Additionally, counselors, social workers, and parents who support the emotional and social well-being of children with literacy challenges can benefit from understanding and implementing reading therapy strategies. By equipping these professionals with the necessary skills, the program ensures that children receive comprehensive support to overcome their literacy and language difficulties.
Program Requirements
1. Academic qualification: Minimum bachelor’s degree. English is preferred to be the medium of instruction for the bachelor’s degree. A score of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent is acceptable if the medium of instruction or first language is not English.
2. Guided learning hours to fulfil: 30 hours per module (150 hours per tier).
3. Internship hours: 220 hours (under supervision at a special education needs setting, counseling center or therapy clinic or hospital).
Program Modules
Credentialed Tier
Module 1: Foundations of Reading Science
Module 2: Developmental Reading Disorders
Module 3: Introduction to Reading Assessment
Module 4: Structured Literacy Intervention I
Module 5: Professional Practice and Ethics
Registered Tier
Module 1: Advanced Reading Assessment & Diagnostics
Module 2: Neurological Disorders Affecting Reading
Module 3: Structured Literacy Intervention II
Module 4: Reading Therapy for Multilingual and Culturally Diverse Learners
Module 5: Case Conceptualization & Clinical Decision-Making
Board-certified Tier
Module 1: Research Literacy & Evidence-Based Practice
Module 2: Reading Therapy for Severe and Complex Profiles
Module 3: Neuropsychological Integration in Reading Therapy
Module 4: Supervision, Consultation & Advanced Ethics
Module 5: Capstone Project & Clinical Portfolio
The Reading Therapist Program is delivered by IACT’s authorized training organisation, Merlion Academy.