School Reading Plan

Reading Assessment and Instruction (PreK–5)

Reading instruction at Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary School adopts a comprehensive and systematic approach to develop foundational literacy skills aligned with grade-level English/Language Arts standards. Instruction focuses on oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Educators, including 4K–3rd grade teachers, administrators, reading coaches, interventionists, ML, and SPED teachers, are participating in LETRS professional development through Lexia to enhance literacy instruction.

1. Oral Language:

   PreK and kindergarten students engage in rich conversations, read-alouds, and interactive discussions to build vocabulary, listening comprehension, and expressive language. Students are encouraged to speak in full sentences, ask questions, and describe events or stories, promoting internalization of language patterns.

2. Phonological Awareness:

   Phonological awareness is introduced through rhyming, syllable counting, and sound manipulation using games, songs, and activities. Teachers from PreK through 2nd grade utilize the Heggerty curriculum. Students learn to identify phonemes, laying the groundwork for decoding and spelling. Diagnostic assessments help identify gaps and inform targeted instruction.

3. Phonics:

   From kindergarten to 2nd grade, explicit phonics instruction is delivered using UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute). Instruction progresses from simple to complex letter-sound relationships, enabling decoding and automatic word recognition. Third grade uses the “Structured Literacy” component of HMH, with training and intervention resources available as needed.

4. Fluency:

   Fluency instruction begins in 1st grade after phonics foundations are secure. Students engage in repeated and partner reading activities to build accuracy, automaticity, and expression. Fluency supports comprehension by allowing students to focus on meaning. HMH fluency passages and AIMS Web are used for monitoring.

5. Vocabulary:

   Vocabulary instruction starts early through oral language development and continues across all grades. Teachers explicitly teach Tier 2 (academic) and Tier 3 (subject-specific) vocabulary during read-alouds, guided reading, and independent reading. Students apply vocabulary through contextual activities and practice.

6. Comprehension:

   Comprehension is taught across all grades with increasing depth. Early grades focus on predicting, retelling, and answering basic questions. By 3rd grade, students summarize, make inferences, analyze characters and events, and identify main ideas. Teachers model comprehension strategies to promote active reading.

Structured Literacy Approach at Sires Elementary

Sires’ structured literacy approach focuses on clear and systematic instruction, especially in phonics. Teachers provide straightforward lessons that help students understand how sounds relate to letters. Multisensory techniques—like combining visual, auditory, and hands-on activities—are also utilized to make learning more effective and enjoyable.

Foundational literacy skills are recognized as crucial for reading success. For instance, phonological awareness helps students recognize sounds in spoken language, which supports their ability to decode words. Kindergarten assessments evaluate essential skills such as:

• Rhyming
• Blending words
• Breaking down sounds

Phonics instruction in the primary grades aligns with grade-level standards, including understanding how letters and sounds work together and decoding single-syllable words.

Assessment Practices

Assessments play a vital role in this process. The Foundational Skills Survey, administered from kindergarten through second grade, is used throughout the school year to assess student progress. Skills evaluated include:

• Functional vocabulary
• Phonological and phonemic awareness
• Letter knowledge
• Decoding and blending
• High-frequency word reading
• Fluency

Regular screenings and progress checks allow teachers to pinpoint where students excel and where additional support is needed.

Instructional Strategies

Explicit instruction is key in the classroom. Teachers demonstrate strategies and provide guided practice to help students with word recognition. Differentiated instruction ensures students receive targeted support. For example, some students may focus on:

• Vowel sounds
• Print features
• Phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension integration

Professional Development and Collaboration

To support this work, teachers participate in ongoing professional development in structured literacy and the science of reading. This ensures instructional effectiveness and consistency. Teacher collaboration is also encouraged to share successful strategies and resources.

Family and Community Involvement

Teachers also help families understand the importance of word recognition by offering tips and strategies to support reading at home. Community resources are leveraged to extend literacy learning beyond the school environment.

Conclusion

By aligning grade-level expectations with the principles of the science of reading and structured literacy, Sires Elementary provides a solid foundation for PreK–5th grade students. This alignment ensures students become confident readers, equipped with the skills they need for academic success.

Literacy Assessment and Intervention at Sires Elementary

Universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data play an important role in determining targeted pathways of intervention for students in PreK through 5th grade who have not demonstrated grade-level reading proficiency.

Universal screening data is collected from all students, typically administered three times a year: at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. This data measures key literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The universal screener provides a snapshot of each student’s reading abilities and helps identify those who are at risk of not meeting grade-level expectations. Following the universal screening, diagnostic assessments are conducted for students identified as needing additional support. These assessments involve a more in-depth evaluation of specific reading skills, including word recognition and language comprehension. Diagnostic assessments are instrumental in understanding the underlying causes of reading difficulties that some students may face.

Parent and Family Engagement at Sires

At Sires, multiple systems support parents in fostering their children’s reading and writing skills at home.

Reading Achievement Monitoring and Growth Program

Our school has a solid system in place for monitoring reading achievement and growth for students in PreK-5th grade. We use universal screeners and diagnostic data to inform decisions about targeted interventions to tailor support to meet each student's needs and help ensure growth to reach grade-level proficiency in reading.

Key Strategies

1. Regular Assessments: Implementing regular reading assessments can help track students' progress over time. This might include universal screeners, diagnostic assessments, common assessments, and classroom assessments.
2. Data Analysis: Analyzing the collected data helps identify trends and patterns in student performance, enabling teachers to pinpoint specific areas where students may be struggling. Teachers collaborate with students to set goals and track growth throughout the year.
3. Individualized Interventions: Based on data analysis and use of our literacy decision tree, we develop targeted intervention programs for students needing additional support, ensuring effective resource allocation.
4. Professional Development: Providing teachers with training on effective reading instruction strategies and interventions enhances their ability to support student growth.
5. Family Engagement: Involving families fosters a supportive environment at home, encouraging reading practice and engagement. Building home-school connections helps reinforce skills and strategies needed for success.
6. Progress Monitoring: Continuously monitoring student progress during interventions allows for timely adjustments to strategies as needed.

R180 Intervention Information for Grades 3, 4, and 5

Ongoing Literacy Professional Development

Dr. Eugene Sires invests in ongoing literacy professional development for staff to ensure the implementation of best practices.

Currently, all 4K, Kindergarten through Third Grade teachers, two special education teachers, our ML teacher, Reading Coach, Reading Interventionists, and administrators are participating in LETRS training. LETRS is a professional development course grounded in Science of Reading research that provides teachers with knowledge and tools to help students become proficient readers. The skills acquired can be applied across any reading curriculum.

In addition to LETRS, all grade level teachers participate in ongoing professional development throughout the year focused on structured literacy and the science of reading, which helps educators stay effective in the classroom. Collaboration among teachers is encouraged to share successful strategies and resources.

Strengths

• Teachers use a comprehensive formative assessment system.
• Teachers ensure that instruction is explicit and follows a systematic scope and sequence so that students practice new behaviors, skills, and processes by reading and writing authentic texts for most of the instructional time.
• Ongoing professional development provided to all staff via LETRS and district PD opportunities.
• PLCs focus on regular data debriefings where teachers analyze student data and make informed instructional decisions.
• Teachers monitor student engagement in reading and writing and use this data to build stamina and growth.
• Teachers and students collaborate to set measurable short-term goals aimed at growing students’ reading behaviors and make strategic plans outlining how these goals will be accomplished.

Possibilities for Growth

• Teachers will analyze data regularly to personalize learning and adapt curriculum resources based on students' strengths and weaknesses.
• Analyze our data to identify areas for further training or support.

LETRS Questions

1. How many teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS?

   25

2. How many teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS?

   2

3. How many teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year?

   5

4. How many teachers in your school are beginning Volume 2 of LETRS this year?

   25

5. How many CERDEP PreK teachers in your school have completed EC LETRS?

   0

6. How many CERDEP PreK teachers in your school are beginning EC LETRS this year?

   2

Goals and Progress

1. Previous Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal)

   Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2024 as determined by SC READY from 18.4% to 16.4% in the spring of 2025.

   Progress: We decreased from 18.4% to 6.2% scoring Not Met on the 2025 ELA SC Ready spring assessment.

2. Previous Goal #2

   Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary will have 100% of teachers and students collaborate to set measurable short-term goals using grade appropriate reading instructional software aimed at growing students' reading behaviors by May 2025.

   Progress: This goal was not met with 100% of teachers and students routinely collaborating and discussing measurable short-term goals aimed at growing students’ reading behaviors and making strategic plans outlining how these goals will be accomplished.

   We believe teachers did not know how to set rigorous goals using the reading instructional software provided for the students. Goal setting conferences were not held consistently across the grade levels.

Goals and Action Steps

1. Current Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal):

   Increase the percentage of third graders scoring Meets and Exceeds in the spring of 2025 as determined by SC READY from 70.8% to 72.8% in the spring of 2026.

   Action Steps

   • R180 is a pull-out model where students are served in groups of 12 or less. Focus is on phonics, fluency, and comprehension.
   • All 3rd grade teachers either have or are working on their LETRS endorsement and are incorporating strategies they are learning into their small group instruction.
   • All 3rd grade teachers use the LETRS (advanced) Spelling Screener for their SLO to support students’ increase in phonics skills.
   • MAP data will be used to identify students projected to be “not met” and “approaches” on SC Ready and set rigorous goals.
   • ML students are receiving more support with a full-time ML teacher.
   • The ML teacher is pushing in to support students as well as pulling students for groups.

2. Current Goal #2:

   Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary will have 100% of teachers and students, K-5, collaborate to set measurable short-term goals using grade-appropriate reading instructional software (Waterford, HMH, Amira, R180, and Exact Path) aimed at growing students' reading behaviors by May 2026.

   Action Steps

   • Monitor Q2, Q3, and Q4 reading instructional software data.
   • During PLCs, teachers will discuss progress.
   • Reminders will be shared with teachers in the weekly newsletter.
   • Progress will be discussed during data meetings to meet our goals.
   • Data meetings will discuss the correlation to MAP data.