The role of our reading specialist is to provide resources and leadership for an entire school. This can take many forms, including the crafting of special weeks to get kids in all grades excited about reading, or coming up with multiple themes to encourage reading throughout a whole school year. While a reading specialist is partly a diagnostician, he or she is also an encourager and motivator. While struggling readers may need the most individual care and attention, all students will need help from time to time in overcoming their reluctance to read or becoming more confident and relaxed readers who retain what they read well. The reading specialist not only helps our school increase its overall test scores in reading, but promotes an environment where reading is seen as an exciting thing to do.