Our Goal: To ensure that all Allegan County Public School children will become successful readers and writers by the time they leave third grade and become strategic and fluent readers beyond. Our approach in Allegan County: We bring school professional at every level together to promote best practices in early assessment of key reading skills. This allows us to work together as the Greater Allegan area to ensure progress and catch children before they fall behind.
|
|
Reading and writing are the foundational skills that lead to school and work success. Students lacking basic literacy skills will struggle throughout their school years.
What research tells us about beginning literacy?
- Only 5-10% of children who read satisfactorily in the primary grades will ever stumble or fail later. (Scarsborough, 1988)
- 65% of children designated early on as troubled readers will continue to read poorly throughout their school careers. (Scarsborough, 1988)
|
|
|
What was achieved during the 2005-2006 school year? |
|
|
|
- This was the fourth year of continual improvement in staff training and instruction. regular assessment and expanded strategies for improved student outcomes.
- Together we have: Added regular measurement of oral reading fluency for all children in grades one through three.
- We have offered over 25 literacy training opportunities per month, involving approximately 2,100 teachers and administrators and support staff.
- All schools have worked cooperatively on setting up a plan to fully implement the Three Tier Model of School wide Reading for fall 2006.
- We have trained 110 teachers and staff in Language! an intensive intervention program.
- Teachers and staff using Language! have coaching and mentoring available to them through an onsite trainer.
- We have initiated grade level professional development academies for preschool, K-2 and 6th grade teachers.
- We have employed the skills of a master writing coach for schools to work with.
- We have held a Superintendents’ Literacy Retreat and monthly Elementary Principal Academies.
|
|
|
Early Literacy Hints and Tips for Parents |
|
|
|
- Read with your child each day.
- Re-read the same books over and over again to increase language and build concepts about books.
- Read signs when you are out and about.
- Point to the print as you read aloud. Young children should follow along and track print with their finger to understand directionality.
- Help your child see that words go across the page from left to right.
- One more time... young children often go through a period of time when they want the same book each day. Continue to expose your child to other books but allow them to keep their favorite.
- Talk with your child about the story you are reading. Sometimes you will talk before and during the story and other times you can come back to talk about the book later.
- Have fun when you read. Show the joy!
|
|
|
Information for Educators |
|
|
|
- All Allegan County public schools have made literacy the top priority.
- All districts are now using DIBELS measures Preschool through Third grade.
- All districts are using the online DIBELS data system to monitor student growth for benchmarking and progress monitoring.
- All elementary schools are implementing the three tier model of reading.
- Schools are implementing research based interventions for early reading.
- All MSRP educators are using Get It Got It Go which is transitions to DBIELS Preschool and Kindergarten.
- AAESA provides intervention training and consulting on how to fully implement the Three Tier Model of Reading.
- Language! is used throughout Allegan County for an intensive intervention for grades 3-12.
|
|
|
Literacy Professional Development Schedule |
|
|
|
|
For information on upcoming professional development opportunities related to literacy, please see the link below: To register contact Patti Dobias or Linda VanAtter
|
|
|
LANGUAGE! is a comprehensive literacy curriculum for students functioning at or below the 35th percentile on national, norm-referenced tests. These students cannot read and understand their grade-level textbooks. Evidence proves that the LANGUAGE! curriculum is effective in improving test scores and bringing students up to grade level. LANGUAGE! transforms “literacy quicksand” to “literacy bedrock” for students in general education, ELL, and special education, grades 3–12. For further information see the LANGUAGE! site at Cambium Learning.com |
|
|
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) |
|
|
|
 The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of pre-reading and early reading skills. Students in all Kindergarten through Third grade are assessed 3 times each year using DIBELS. For more information, please contact: Patti Dobias or visit the Dibels website at the University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning. |
|
|
The Allegan County Literacy Initiative provides the local districts with a common focus and coordinated approach to developing successful readers. All 8 school districts serviced by the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency have agreed to focus on early literacy instruction and assessment. These school districts have adopted: 
