By: Chelsee Skogen & Laura Leiss, Special Education Coordinator K-5 & Curriculum Coordinator/RTI Coach for K-5
With a vision of Success for All, DPS purchased new reading materials that will help provide all students with additional opportunities to practice independent and targeted reading skills. Funding was provided through the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant, while materials were purchased through Custom Education Solutions and were handpicked for the identified interests and needs of our district’s very own K-5 students.
The goal was to choose books that would provide students with authentic reading experiences at a variety of levels while continuing practice for targeted reading skills; books that are not only a good fit for their interests and abilities but also provide students with stories that act as mirrors, allowing them to see themselves, their families, and their personal interests. When students are given more books spanning multiple topics, they are exposed to varied levels of vocabulary. Increased student vocabulary is correlated with increases in reading comprehension.
Additionally, materials were chosen to provide systematic, explicit instruction for print awareness, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness; which are the foundation for successful decoding and reading. Another component that was purchased was reader’s theater plays and short stories. These engaging scripts provide opportunities for students to improve their fluency while supporting continued skill development. Engaging in regular reader’s theater “performance” also allows students to grow their listening and social skills. The selected materials will provide students with needed repetition and practice to master basic decoding skills, acquire vocabulary, and increase reading comprehension.
A big THANK YOU to Custom Education Solutions and the CLSD Grant for helping all of our elementary students succeed and allowing our teachers to be responsive, focused and explicit when instructing their students.