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In the elementary school setting, all students are learning to read and reading to learn. Reading is a skill required for all classroom subjects and life in general. Some children may need a little extra help in this area. The resource program at Kingsley is available to help those who may have a learning disability and who qualify for the program.
At Kingsley there are two resource teachers:
- Lori Brady - primary grades
- Jennifer Ferris - intermediate grades
Our goal is to improve reading skills in the areas of fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. Classroom units are incorporated into the reading curriculum periodically throughout the year.
To achieve these goals we incorporate the following:
Different Reading Techniques
Using a variety of reading techniques helps to improve overall fluency and comprehension.
Choral Reading: the instructor and students read together
Read Aloud: material is read to students by instructor
Partner Reading: students read to each other
Echo Reading: instructor reads first, then students reread
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Read Naturally
It is believed that the more a person practices a skill, the better they become at that skill. The U.S. Department of Education has found that elementary students read an average of 7 to 8 minutes a day. Struggling readers get even less practice. They tend to choose books that are too hard for them to read so that during independent reading time, they may just be looking at pictures or staring at the words. Another reason they may choose these books is so that they may look more like their peers.
Read Naturally is a program that consists of a series of high-interest, leveled pieces of text. It utilizes multiple readings with the intention of improving reading fluency and word recognition. The process includes a timed first reading, oral reading with tapes of the story, partner reading, and a timed final reading. Each student is charted and followed to assess their progress.
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Poetry
We read poetry to learn about new subject areas, for enjoyment, repetition, vocabulary, and fluency. We will select poetry based on a theme that will be determined by the teacher. On Mondays students will be given a poem and they will practice reading it. Then the poem will be sent home for practice during the week. On Fridays, in class, each child will be assessed on their ability to read the poem fluently. By completing this reading successfully, each child will be able to earn points for a prize.
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Journaling
We incorporate writing into the reading program with journaling. On Mondays each child writes about his or her experiences over the weekend in their "Weekend Journal." The Language Experience Approach is used for this activity. Then the students immediately read their writing back to the group. The idea behind this approach is that students will be interested in the material with which they are working.
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Skills
We work on the following skills during reading:
| Vocabulary |
preview text
sight words
word sorts
word wall words
making words |
| Organizers |
KWL
Venn diagrams |
| Comprehension Strategies |
visualization questioning using connections determining important ideas inferring |
| Word Study |
synonyms and antonyms digraphs blends rhyming words short and long vowels |
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What can you do to improve your child's reading?
- Visit libraries and book stores frequently
- Read and reread stories to your children
- Have your child read and reread stories to you
- Visit these web sites for more information
Strategies for Reading
- Put your finger on the unknown word and say all the letters.
- Use the letters and the picture clues.
- Look for familiar spelling patterns.
- Put your finger on the unknown word, skip it, read the rest of the sentence and then come back to it and think about what would make sense.
- Reread the sentence if it doesn't make sense. Think about words that would make sense in the sentence.
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Learning Disabilities
A student is said to have a learning disability when his or her performance does not match his or her potential as measured by testing.
Ways to help
Famous people with learning disabilities
More information and organizations
Ways to help
Students benefit greatly when parents are involved in planning and monitoring their individual education program (IEP). Information is shared at conferences with resource teachers and specialized professionals. Parents add valuable information that is used in order to plan the best possible program.
An IEP specifies:
- long term goals
- short term objectives
- individual adaptations and modifications
- special services
More information and organizations
Information and Resources for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
The Council for Learning Disabilities
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