Historically, the Marines have always been the first to fight our enemies. Their training and commitment are well known. Let’s borrow an idea from the famous Marine recruiting slogan: “The Few. The Proud. The Marines.” Let’s encourage all our reading teachers to become reading specialists so we can say, “Join the many, the proud, the Indiana Reading Specialists. The enemy facing us is not in a foreign land. It is here at home in our schools. It is the sad state of reading proficiency of far too many students. With their advanced preparation and experience in reading, reading specialists can effectively wage a battle to help students and their schools improve

test scores in all academic areas. They can support classroom teaching, assess the reading strengths and needs of students, and serve as a resource for other educators, parents, and the community.

      With summer not all that far away, the ideal time to get started on courses, prepare now for the work ahead. The six universities that provide programs leading to a reading specialist license are Ball State University, Butler University, Indiana State University, Indiana University—Bloomington, Indiana University—South Bend, and Purdue University. The Directory of Indiana College and University Reading Professors can be found at <http://mgrn.evansville.edu/directrymgrn .html>. It provides mail and email addresses and telephone numbers. Contact information is also provided for chairs/deans of education departments.

     You may not wind up on a Marine recruiting poster, but when you complete your reading specialist license you can join the legion of the many, the proud, the Indiana Reading Specialists.

Why set goals?  

"Because if you're aiming for nowhere, that's just where you will go."