Every teacher is excited about reading and promotes the value and fun of
reading to students.
All students are carefully evaluated, beginning in kindergarten, to see
what they know and what they need to become good readers.
Teachers find ways to share information and ideas with parents to help
them know more about supporting their children's developing reading skillls.
Reading instruction and practice in school lasts 90 minutes or more a day
in first, second and third grades and 60 minutes a day in kindergarten.
All students in first, second and third grades who are behind in reading
get special instruction and practice. These students receive, throughout
the day, a total of 60 extra minutes of instruction.
Before- or after-school help is given to all students beyond first grade
who need extra instruction or who need to review skills. Summer school
is available for students who are behind at the end of the year.
Reading instruction and practice includes work on letters, sounds and blending
sounds. Students learn to blend letters and sounds to form new words.
Learning new words and their meaning is an important part of children's
daily instruction.
Students have daily spelling practice and weekly spelling tests.
The connection between reading and writing is taught on a daily basis.
Students write daily. Papers are corrected and returned to the students.
By the end of second grade, students write final copies of corrected papers.
Corrected papers are sent home for parents to see.
All students are read to each day from different kinds of books. Students
discuss what they read with teachers and other students.
All students have a chance to read silently and aloud in school each day.
Every classroom has a library of books that children want to read. This
includes easy books and books that are more difficult.
The school library is used often and has many books. Students may check
books out during the summer and over holidays.
