Clearbrook Literacy Plan
Clearbrook-Gonvick School District #2311
Literacy Plan
- Kindergarten-3rd Grade Literacy Goals and Objectives:
- All students will be fluent and critical readers based upon balanced reading instruction in all five areas of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension
Five Areas of Reading:
i. Fluency- the ability of students to read text with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.
ii. Phonemic Awareness- the ability of students to notice, think about, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken syllables and words.
iii. Phonics- the understanding that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken words. Phonics instruction is a way of teaching reading that stresses learning how letters correspond to sounds and how to apply this knowledge in reading and spelling.
iv. Reading Comprehension- an active process that requires intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader. Comprehension skills are taught explicitly by demonstrating, explaining, modeling, and implementing specific cognitive strategies to help beginning readers derive meaning through an intentional, problem-solving thinking process.
v. Vocabulary Development- the process of teaching vocabulary both directly and indirectly, with repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items. Learning in rich contexts, incidental learning, and the use of computer technology enhance the acquiring of vocabulary.
2. Process and Assessments used to determine students reading proficiency:
A. Students will be assessed using the NWEA’s for students in K-3. This measure will be administered two times a year.
- Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) will be administered to all second and third-grade students. This assessment will be given to the students in the fall. Those students who are identified as reading below grade level according to the DRA will receive extra reading instruction in a reading intervention program with a reading specialist. Students in the reading intervention program will be assessed with the DRA three times a year: fall, winter, and spring. Once a child is reading at grade level and has demonstrated proficiency in the 5 areas of reading, extra reading instruction will be discontinued. Proficiency is an accuracy rate of 90% or above on grade-level texts. Parents will receive a letter of notification if their child is eligible for extra literacy services.
- NWEA assessment (MAP) is administered to Kindergarten students in the spring. In first through third grades, it is given in the fall and spring. Proficiency will be determined by grade level benchmarks determined by MAP. Progress will be shared twice a year through conferences with the parents or teacher letter.
3. Parents/guardians will be notified and involved by the following
- Parent-Teacher Conferences held two times a year.
- Parent Letters
- School Website
- Report Cards
- Phone Calls
4. Interventions used and available to students not at or above grade level are:
- ADSIS Reading program, small group instruction, Guided Reading, one-to-one instruction, Accelerated Reader, Reading curriculum-based leveled readers and repeated instruction.
- These interventions will be based on student data gathered from the Fastbridge, DRA, and NWEA assessments.
- A reading specialist and the classroom teacher will provide services.
- Parents will be informed of their child’s progress by either conferences or letters home.
5. Teachers will participate and benefit from the following professional development on scientifically based reading instruction by:
- Training during PLC’s (Professional Learning Community)
- Professional Development (Staff Workshop Days)
- Teacher In-Service Days
6. Kindergarten through 6th grade uses and implements Houghton Mifflin Reading Curriculum, which is a scientifically based and researched curriculum. It includes effective, balanced instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension.
- The Five Areas of Reading included in the curriculum are:
i. Fluency- the ability of students to read text with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.
ii. Phonemic Awareness- the ability of students to notice, think about, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken syllables and words.
iii. Phonics- the understanding that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken words. Phonics instruction is a way of teaching reading that stresses learning how letters correspond to sounds and how to apply this knowledge in reading and spelling.
iv. Reading Comprehension- an active process that requires intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader. Comprehension skills are taught explicitly by demonstrating, explaining, modeling, and implementing specific cognitive strategies to help beginning readers derive meaning through an intentional, problem-solving thinking process.
v. Vocabulary Development- the process of teaching vocabulary both directly and indirectly, with repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items. Learning in rich contexts, incidental learning, and the use of computer technology enhance the acquiring of vocabulary.
7. All district teachers will be trained once every three years to recognize student’s diverse needs in cross-cultural settings and serve the oral language and linguistic needs of EL students.
8. Assessment data will be posted on the Clearbrook-Gonvick School District webpage: http://www.clearbrook-gonvick.k12.mn.us
