What Does a Reading Specialist Do? Expert Instruction and Literacy Support from Lindamood-Bell

What Is a Reading Specialist?
When parents search for a reading specialist, they often seek expert support to help a child improve their reading accuracy, understanding, and confidence. They look for a professional who understands how children learn to read and applies this expertise when progress has slowed or challenges persist.
In school settings, reading specialists may work under titles such as literacy interventionist, dyslexia specialist, special education reading teacher, or reading intervention teacher. Their work typically includes individualized or small-group instruction to address challenges with decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Many also support classroom teachers through professional development, coaching, and the implementation of literacy programs.
For families seeking expert reading support and development and schools focused on improving literacy outcomes, Lindamood-Bell’s founders’ evidence-based programs provide a proven foundation for lasting gains in reading and learning.
The Role of a Reading Specialist

At its core, the role of a reading specialist is to identify why reading is difficult and to provide instruction that targets the underlying causes—not just the symptoms—of reading challenges.
At Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers, this role is fulfilled by a team of instructional experts who support each child from evaluation through instruction and ongoing educational guidance. Each student begins with a comprehensive Learning Ability Evaluation, which identifies learning strengths, challenges, and the most effective path forward.
Based on this evaluation, the experts at the Learning Center develop individualized instructional recommendations, lesson plans, and relevant goals—providing the depth of expertise families expect when seeking a reading specialist.
Instruction is delivered using truly evidence-based programs designed to develop the foundational skills that underlie reading, comprehension, and learning. This integrated approach ensures instruction is precise, intentional, and responsive to each student’s needs.
Reading Specialist Instruction at Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers

Instruction at Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers is delivered by dedicated instructors who work one-to-one with each child, delivering the steps of instruction exactly as outlined in the individualized lesson plan. Instruction includes:
- individualized lesson plans based on a comprehensive Learning Ability Evaluation for each student,
- one-to-one instruction focused on foundational literacy skills,
- ongoing progress monitoring to ensure measurable growth,
- And instructional quality oversight from our most experienced instructional team members.
Instruction at Lindamood-Bell does more than teach reading rules or provide practice—it develops the underlying sensory-cognitive processing that makes learning possible. Families often seek a reading specialist when a child guesses at words, struggles with comprehension, or lacks confidence. Lindamood-Bell’s individualized instruction directly targets these challenges for students.
Does Your Child Need a Reading Specialist? Consider Lindamood-Bell
Ready to get started? Contact us to set up a comprehensive Learning Ability Evaluation.
Professional Development at Lindamood-Bell for Reading Specialists

Lindamood-Bell also partners with reading specialists, special education teachers, and literacy professionals who want to use our approach with their own students. Through live, online professional development workshops, educators learn to implement programs that address the sensory-cognitive skills underlying learning and literacy, including: Seeing Stars Symbol Imagery for Phonological and Orthographic Processing in Reading and Spelling (SI) and Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking (V/V). Our interactive teacher workshops empower reading specialists to apply proven methodologies directly with the students they serve individually, in small groups, or in classrooms.
Contact us to learn more about professional development opportunities designed to strengthen literacy instruction at your school.
