Reading Specialists

Reading Intervention at the Primary

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book. - Author Unknown

Our intervention program starts in kindergarten. Our goal is to serve students who show difficulty with literacy skills. Early reading intervention helps students who are identified as needing additional support in reading. These students will receive instruction from a certified reading specialist who has completed Reading Recovery and Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) training.

For the most at-risk readers, we offer Reading Recovery, a research-based program developed by Marie Clay for the most struggling first graders. LLI intervention is a small group supplementary intervention designed for children who find reading and writing difficult. LLI groups are offered in kindergarten, first, and second grade.

In kindergarten, students will work daily for 30 minutes in small groups of three with a reading specialist. During the LLI lesson they will read, write and identify letters, read and practice sight words and write simple stories.

In first grade we offer two different reading intervention programs. Reading Recovery students meet one-on-one for 30 minutes every day with a reading specialist. Students read familiar books, work with words and letters, write stories and read new books. The other program, LLI, consists of a group of three students who meet with a reading specialist for 30 minutes every day. During that time students will read familiar and new books, work with words and sounds and write about what was read.

LLI in second grade consists of a reading specialist meeting every day for 30 minutes with groups of three struggling reading students. These students will read familiar and new books, work with words and sounds and write about what was read.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr.Seuss I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

What is Title 1?

Title 1 is a 100% Federally funded supplemental education program that provides financial assistance to local education agencies to improve educational opportunities for educationally deprived children. In Greencastle-Antrim School District, Title 1 funds are used to supplement our literacy program through a targeted assistance approach. Students that are candidates for the program are identified through assessments and teacher observations. Our Title 1 Reading Specialist work closely with classroom teacher and our Federal Program Coordinator to identify what each student needs and develop appropriate interventions that are specific to each individual student.

How are students selected for Title 1 reading intervention?

Students are selected using universal screeners and then other diagnostic assessments are administered. Data from these are analyzed in order to choose our most at-risk students for reading intervention.

What reading interventions are provided at each grade level?

Kindergarten has Let's Play Learn, Stepping Stones, Letter Lessons, First Words, and Sound Partners. First grade has Sound Partners, PAWR (Phonemic Awareness Word Recognition), WIN (What I Need). Second grade has Sound Partners, Heggerty, Sonday, LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention), and WIN (What I Need).

What opportunities are there for parents to be involved with their child?

Parents can contact the classroom teacher or reading specialist to find out about opportunities to help in the classroom.

What type of communication occurs between Title 1 staff and home? And how often?

The Title 1 team holds two parent meetings per year, there are parent-teacher conferences twice a year, and progress reports are sent home three times per year.

Greencastle-Antrim Primary School

Reading Specialists