Cedar
Growing Readers at Cedar By Ronda Tomovcik, Principal As we continue to experience one of the most challenging periods for education in our lifetime, the concern about “learning loss” becomes more apparent. The importance of learning how to read is something that cannot be argued with, even more so with the impact COVID-19 has had on education across the nation. The last “normal year of school” for our students was when our current third graders were in kindergarten!
instruction of reading so that we strategically address student needs.
In September, we assessed all of our K-3 students using Acadience Reading and it was determined that 76% of the students at Cedar are not on track for reading success. While we realize that number is high, we have created a plan to address the instructional needs of every student in our school.
You may be wondering, what are the “Big Ideas of Reading?” There are five “Big Ideas of Reading;” Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension.
You may ask, “What is Acadience Reading?” Acadience Reading is “a set of standardized indicators of literacy skills, designed for universal screening and progress monitoring.” Acadience Reading helps our teachers identify students who are at risk for reading difficulties and determine the skills to target for instructional support. Once all of our students were assessed, grade level teams met to analyze and discuss the Acadience Reading data. From there, teachers created grade-level instructional plans. These plans helped us create grade-level instructional goals that are aligned with the “Big Ideas of Reading” and the Ohio state standards. Our plan includes whole group and small-group
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Additionally, each grade level has 30-40 minutes P.A.W.S. (Providing All With Success) Time, where students receive intervention or enrichment based upon their individual needs. This plan will help us ensure that every child receives grade-level instruction with a special focus on reading interventions that will help them to become a stronger reader.
Phonemic Awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. For example, the spoken word “cat” has 3 sounds /k/ /a/ /t/. Phonics is the ability to decode (or put together) the relationship between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the sounds (phonemes) of spoken language; 26 letters make 44 different speech sounds. For example, the letter C makes the /k/ and /s/ sound, depending on its placement in a word (cake, face). Vocabulary words are the words we must understand to communicate effectively. There are four types of vocabulary: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we hear. Speaking vocabulary consists of the words we use when we speak.
Bulldog Bulletin
Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Natalie Chappie, teaching phonemic awareness and phonics through whole group and small group instruction. Featuring kindergarten student Judah Stokes.
Reading vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we read. Writing vocabulary consists of the words we use in writing. Fluency is the ability to read words quickly, automatically and accurately so that our brain can focus on the meaning of the words in the text. Listening Comprehension is the ability to understand the words heard and relate to them in some way. For example, when hearing a story, the
child should understand the story, remember it, discuss it and retell it in their own words.
tion. Additionally, all of our teachers have been engaging in ongoing LETRS (Language EsReading Comprehension sentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is the ability to decode professional development what is read; make conand gaining more innections between what depth knowledge based is read, and what they on the most current already know; and think research in the “Big Ideas deeply about what has of Reading.” Our teachers been read. are applying their learnCedar teachers use the ing in the classrooms at five “Big Ideas of ReadCedar every day. Working ing” listed above when together, we CAN and planning their daily WILL change the reading whole group and small outcomes for our stugroup reading instrucdents!
