Posted on December 4th, 2025 in Blog, Education

What Does a Reading Interventionist Do?

Being able to read can play a critical role in people’s sense of personal empowerment and their lifelong success. More than 86% of the world’s population can read and write as of 2025, according to UNESCO — a marked improvement from the 68% reported in 1979. Despite this, more than a quarter billion adults still struggle, and 250 million children are falling behind in their basic literacy skills.

Reading interventionists are specialized educators who help struggling students develop their literacy skills. They teach these students phonics, letter and word pronunciation, and basic reading comprehension, helping them gain the tools they need to thrive throughout their lives.

By pursuing the right education, either through an advanced degree program or a standalone program, and a reading interventionist endorsement, educators can qualify for this role and play a vital part in helping children and adults develop critical literacy skills.

What Is a Reading Interventionist?

The benefits of good reading skills cannot be overstated. Decades of research and hundreds of studies have proven that students who “read to learn,” particularly when reading unfamiliar texts, are better equipped to comprehend what they read by comparing it to information they already know.

Furthermore, the ability to read comfortably can reduce students’ stress, improve their sleep, enhance their memory, strengthen their writing skills, and enable them to become better problem-solvers for the rest of their lives, according to the 95 Percent Group.

Reading interventionists play a vital role in helping certain students reach these goals. They work with adolescent and adult students who are struggling to read at the recommended level. Though they typically work for school systems and districts, some also work independently or for private agencies.

Reading Interventionist Job Description

The tasks reading interventionists carry out on a day-to-day basis include the following:

Working with students in groups and individually
Communicating with teachers, other faculty members, and students’ caregivers to better understand each student’s needs
Assessing students’ abilities and areas for improvement
Developing personalized interventions to help individual students improve their literacy skills
Assisting in identifying students who may require specialized intervention
Meeting with teachers and students’ caregivers to discuss the students’ progress and set their reading goals
Creating curricula and various lessons designed to facilitate students’ reading improvement

Requirements for Becoming a Reading Interventionist

Becoming a reading interventionist requires earning the proper degrees and endorsements and gaining relevant experience. These steps may vary from state to state.

Earn a Degree

To become a reading interventionist, aspiring professionals must earn a bachelor’s degree in education at a minimum, though a master’s degree in education is often preferred by employers. Focusing on special education or childhood literacy in a bachelor’s degree program is beneficial, and specializing in reading intervention in a master’s program can help aspiring professionals stand out in the job market.

Master in Education (MEd) degree programs build on baccalaureate education by teaching concepts such as teaching to diversity, using instructional media, ethics in education, teacher education, and research design alongside practicums and capstone experiences to help educators solidify the knowledge they have gained in the classroom setting.

Obtain the Required Endorsement or License

Most states require reading interventionists to hold a teaching license and obtain a reading interventionist endorsement, certification, or other designation. In Oregon, aspiring reading interventionists must have an endorsement added to their existing teaching license, including preliminary, teacher leader, and legacy licenses.

According to Oregon’s Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), candidates who want to become teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree, complete a TSPC-approved preparation program, and obtain a teaching license through the TSPC.

Preparation programs for reading interventionist endorsements include those that are part of a master’s degree program and those that are standalone programs. They typically include courses that cover the following topics, as well as a literacy and reading practicum:

Principles of reading assessment, diagnoses, and intervention
Best practices in literacy instruction and curriculum
Foundations of language and literacy
Literacy instruction for special needs students
Literacy instruction for English language learner (ELL) students
Leadership in literacy programs

Gain Relevant Experience

While experience requirements vary by employer, aspiring reading interventionists can benefit from working in roles that allow them to hone their teaching and classroom management skills. Some excellent opportunities include teaching or working as a teaching assistant, particularly working with special needs or ELL students, and tutoring individuals who have reading difficulties.

Salary and Job Outlook for Reading Interventionists

Though reading interventionists’ salaries vary significantly based on their location, employment type, specific employer, and experience level, the median annual salary for these professionals was about $50,000 as of September 2025, with the top 10% earning more than $58,000, according to Payscale.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 890,000 job openings across all educational instruction and library occupations, including openings for reading interventionists, are projected each year between 2024 and 2034.

Do Your Part to Improve Individuals’ Literacy as a Reading Interventionist

Spending time reading is known to improve individuals’ critical thinking skills, build their vocabulary, elevate their conversational capabilities, and teach them a variety of social skills, allowing strong readers to experience life more authentically. There will always be a need for those willing to step in and help both children and adults develop crucial literacy skills, and you can be part of transforming their lives.

If you’re an educator interested in becoming a reading interventionist, Warner Pacific University Online offers an accelerated Master of Education degree program with a reading interventionist track, as well as a reading interventionist endorsement that can be pursued by those with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. The MEd program can be completed in as few as 18 months. Either path can prepare you for a lifelong, fulfilling career working alongside those who struggle with reading.

Find out how you can start working toward a career where you can help students improve their literacy skills with WPU Online.

Sources:
95 Percent Group, “Why Is Reading Important? The Lifelong Benefits of Reading”
Ignite Reading, “ROI of Reading Interventions — Proving Impact in Student Outcomes and District Budgets”
Indeed, “How to Become a Reading Interventionist in 5 Steps”
National Science Teaching Association, Reading Interventionist Overview
Oregon Laws, OAR 584-220-0165 Reading Intervention
Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, Adding Endorsements
Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), Preparation and Advancement
Payscale, Average Reading Interventionist Salary
UNESCO, “What You Need to Know About Literacy”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Educational Instruction and Library Occupations