In the past few years we have been inundated with information about our role in increasing literacy through phonological awareness instruction. While I am not disputing the value of our knowledge and training, I have been wondering if I am in the minority when I say that I am resistant to helping with reading instruction. In my district, every building has 1 1/2 to two reading specialists per building for a total of six at the elementary level. They have aides, endless resources, and exclusive rooms. Conversely, we have three SLPs for the entire district. We have no aides, limited resources, two rooms for our exclusive use, and three shared rooms. Our state, Pennsylvania, permits up to 65 students on an individual SLP's caseload. Forgive me if I don't feel inclined to help our reading specialists. If the trend is moving toward SLPs helping with reading instruction, perhaps more focus should be spent on decreasing the size of our caseloads and providing us with adequate resources (including rooms). Our scope of practice is already so large—why do we need to be involved with reading also?
Rose Walk
Curwensville, PA
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