~by Lora Koch, The Scranton Journal
If you stop by Greene County elementary after school on Tuesdays or Thursdays, you will see a large group of children and teachers enjoying reading together. District reading specialist Julie Neal explained, “We developed this reading intervention program to give kids extra support in reading, and provide ongoing assessment to get them where they need to be.”
The program was piloted last spring, and now actively serves 80 elementary children at Greene County and 20 children at the Grand Junction intermediate facility. About 20 teachers assist with the program.
“We target students who are not reading at their grade level, and need assistance to be proficient in grade and STAR reading assessment level. We sent letters to parents requesting participation, with a very good response,” shared Neal. “The program focuses on comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary.”
There is also a reading intervention program at Greene County middle school on Wednesday and Friday mornings before school.
Neal explained, “The middle school program was based on a survey of parents, and is something students can do in lieu of going to summer school.”
Based on the overall success of the elementary and middle school programs, a high school program for ninth and tenth graders is starting in January.
The response from teachers and parents has been very positive. “From teachers, they are amazed to see what the students can learn in two days, after-school, in a small group setting. Parents seem eager for their kids to come and really appreciate it. They are more aware of what we are offering,” said Neal.
On most reading days, the children first have outside playtime to burn off energy, followed by a snack and small group reading activities. On this particular day, the students had a large group activity in the school library “Reading Theater” hearing Jan Brett’s, The Wild Christmas Reindeer. The reading team varies the weekly activities to meet the diverse learning needs of the students.
“We will be retesting again in January,” said Neal. “We are looking for growth and will evaluate which students no longer need to come, and which ones need to start coming. The start of the year is a good regrouping time.”
