This year at Walter B. Howard Elementary School, additional academic support has been placed in grades K-2 in an effort to ensure that students are reading at or above grade level by Grade 3. This will help improve literacy in the long run and will help to avoid playing “catch up” in the later grades.
Literacy teachers co-teach ELA along with primary teachers to provide extra support for and attention to students in K, 1 and 2 classrooms. All students in each grade benefit from a 30-minute block of enrichment each day so that children requiring intervention get the support they need without missing any new instruction. Other students use the time to pursue academic interests relating to the day’s instruction.
Reading teacher Amy Gravina and Kindergarten teacher Jason Breslin said the new model has already proven to be effective.
“In the very beginning of the year we had one student who couldn’t write her own name, but she can now thanks to the additional support,” said Gravina.
“Before the Common Core, as long as the student knew their letters they could make it through ok, but now there’s simply no time to play catch up and we have to hit the ground running,” said Breslin. “It’s just logical to get them extra help early on.”
In addition, teachers say the ability to co-teach and plan lessons together has been helpful. By having two adults in the classroom, there is guaranteed to be at least two academic centers where early literacy skills can be taught. Academic centers are activities that invite students to practice and apply the strategies that have been taught. This may include the use of puzzles, educational computer games or simply reading in the “book nook.”
“Last year I had to do the enrichment myself while looking out for all the other students,” said Breslin. “It’s great to have another adult who is trained and certified in the classroom with me. This is truly targeted instruction.”
Students in the older grades still receive the support they need as well. In grades 3 and 4, students receive pull-out support and those in grades 5 and 6 receive support from one of the four content area teachers during their enrichment block.
By focusing our instructional resources on our youngest students, the district expects that, when they arrive in the upper grades, fewer students will require support and more will be on grade level. The result should be more enjoyment of learning and higher achievement for all students.