Diagnoses: Literacy First Reading process implemented in seven Title I elementary schools SMITHFIELD*It doesn't take a medical doctor to diagnose a student's literacy skills or to prescribe a plan to make students more effective readers. Educators in Johnston County, under the practice of the Literacy First process, have been trained to do just that. Seven Title I elementary schools have implemented Literacy First into their curriculum for kindergarten through fifth graders. Literacy First is a three year commitment that involves reforming the processes that educators use to teach literacy. The ultimate goal of the Literacy First process is to have a minimum of 85-90% of all students reading on grade level. The process is unique because it not only requires training for teachers but for administrators as well, said Elizabeth Tanner, Title I Director for Johnston County. Teachers and administrators receive intensive training and coaching. Administrators are required to spend an hour a day in classrooms giving feedback and input to teachers. Educators learn to assess literacy skills that involve phonological awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension. Brian Vetrano, Principal of South Smithfield Elementary School, where Literacy First is in its second year of implementation, compared the assessments to a doctor's appointment. Doctors diagnose a problem and prescribe a medication, he said. In the same way, teachers are being trained to diagnose their students' strengths and weaknesses in reading and prescribe a plan to improve them. "The strength of the program lies in these assessments," Tanner said. Assessments are conducted on a continual basis throughout the year. The data collected from the assessments allows teachers to develop lesson plans to meet the needs of each individual student. "We know in education that one size does not fit all," added Vetrano, who describes Literacy First as a process not a program. Students spend two hours and 20 minutes of each school day on literacy instruction. According to Four Oaks Elementary Curriculum Coach, Terri Sessoms, data such as bus schedules, lunch schedules, and recess times have to be evaluated to ensure that the allotted time is dedicated to literacy each day. "It really impacts everything to make sure that literacy truly does become a priority," she said. Students spend 20 minutes in a small group setting focusing on the strengths or weaknesses of the group. They then move into a work center to reinforce the lessons taught in their small group. Finally, the small groups reunite for a classroom lesson that also reinforces the skills taught in the earlier sessions. Students are immersed in as much vocabulary as possible and learning 3,000- 4,000 new words each year is the minimum requirement. The process makes students more effective in other subject areas as their comprehension skills improve. In fact, 60 percent of the students reading must come from non-fiction sources. Four Oaks Elementary School is in its second year of the program. The school has already seen great gains in third grade reading scores. "Our parents love it, our students love it and our teachers love it. Now, our teachers say they would not go back," Sessoms commented. South Smithfield Elementary School teachers have reported positive results as well. Sandra Edwards has been teaching kindergarten for 28 years. "Literacy First is the first program to help us get to know our students better. It helps us to understand how they learn," she commented. It requires each individual student to master one skill before moving on to the next. "It's a hierarchy of teaching. Lessons progressively get harder and since we work with the students every day and perform assessments every other week, we know if they're mastering skills," she added. According to Vetrano, the process has really helped close the reading gap and has better connected grade levels so that kindergarten students are better prepared for first grade and first graders are better prepared for second grade. Other schools that have implemented Literacy First include: Corinth Holders, Cooper Elementary, Micro-Pine Level Elementary, Selma Elementary and West Smithfield Elementary. "Students are more engaged and accountable for their learning while they are provided appropriate instruction through flexible skills groups and learning centers. It doesn't take long after beginning the process to recognize that students, teachers and administrators have become a community of learners," Tanner commented.
