4 Westminster Window
November 22, 2012
New reading program geared to help students Learning to read is different for everyone. Some students catch on quickly and are off reading book after book. But for some students, the task isn’t so easy. A new reading program was introduced this year at Adams County School District 50 and is geared to help elementary and middle readers improve their
‘The program improves their proficiency in reading and also helps with silent reading fluency.’ Linda Kister, Learning Services skills. The program is called Reading Plus, a web-based
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hension and vocabulary. The program will be piloted over three years in three schools, Flynn and Metz Elementary Schools and Ranum Middle School. After three years, the district will determine whether to not to continue the program and extend it into more schools. “This program is actually for children who already know how to read, but are struggling readers,” said Linda Kister in the Learning Services department. “It is a competency-based system that evaluates the students’ reading rates and pace. It helps move them along as needed and can diagnose how the student is doing on the spot.” As a former teacher, Kister always wondered what students were really doing during silent reading time. She said she knew some students were actually reading, but for others she was unsure. Now with Reading Plus, teachers are able keep track of how the students are progressing in their reading skills, she added. “Reading plus tracks a student’s eye movement and helps guide their eyes from left to right,” she said. “The program improves their proficiency in reading and also helps with silent reading fluency.” Instructional coach at Flynn Elementary School Carla Bigum is excited about Reading Plus and said she has already seen some improvements made
Flynn Elementary School fifth-graders Tharon Johnson and Mariana Galicia Real work on their reading skills using the new reading program Reading Plus, a reading intervention program that helps students in their reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Photo by Ashley Reimers
by some of the students using the program. She’s never seen a reading program like this one, and hopes to see continued improvements from all of the students. “Reading is work and you have to teach your brain how to do it,” Bigum said. “And what is great about this program is we are getting feedback right away. Students are able to track their progress too and see how far they have come.” Bigum said the program allows a student to also practice from home using Reading Plus and when a student conquers a level
he or she receives a certificate. “The positive feedback is also a great help when a student is working on their reading skills,” she said. Currently the program is being used in third through fifth grade in elementary schools and at all levels in the middle school. The Morgridge Family Foundation provided a $60,000 matching grant for the program and the district provided the rest of the money needed to fund the program. For more information on Reading Plus, visit www.readingplus.com.
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