Sts. Peter & Paul School is fortunate to have a specialized reading intervention program that is organized and taught by Mrs. Kristin Majors. This reading intervention program consists of a variety of supplemental reading materials and activities geared toward reading fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, phonics, and phonemic awareness for selected students.
Reading intervention at SPPS is designed to support the lassroom teachers in meeting the needs of children who may require an extra boost in mastering the art of reading. These children begin receiving assistance in all areas of learning to become a better reader. They are given the opportunity to work in a small group with a calm setting using materials and techniques geared to helping them achieve success.
Mrs. Majors engages in activities that complement what occurs in the classroom at the specific child’s grade level. This develops confidence and practice work for children that may otherwise struggle with their reading.
The following are some of the programs and methods utilized:
- Orton-Gillingham Based Lessons – The Orton-Gillingham approach is a multi-sensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible approach to teaching language. Struggling readers benefit when exposed to phonemic awareness practice and sound symbol associations that are taught, employing all of the learning pathways – auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile.
- Diebels – The program uses short passages that are designed to monitor fluency and the development of early literacy and early reading skills.
- Quick Reads is a program which gives one model reading and the students practice until able to read the passage in a timed setting.
While all of these techniques are implemented at the earliest grade level, the program is grade specific.
The Great Leaps Reading Program is an additional reading program started by former teacher, Mrs. Valerie Adley, that relies on parent volunteers. In this program, parents and teachers are trained to assess student performance on a daily basis. Students are asked to perform assigned reading tasks, when a child performs the task in the given time accurately, they leap. This is rewarding for the child in self esteem as well as coming out of the program with improved reading skills.
Mrs. Majors is sure to point out that the success of these programs depends not only on her and her vast array of specialized activities, but the work of parents and children at home.