Welcome to Title One Reading

(Edgar School District)
 

What is Title One?

Title One is a federally funded program that provides support and services for students that are struggling in reading and or math.  The Edgar School District has chosen to focus these services on our highest school wide need, in the area of reading.  

Title One Services:  Our current Title One Reading Program services students in Edgar Elementary in Grades 4K-8 that are identified as needing additional reading support.  Title One students come for reading support two to five times a week for 30 minutes, depending upon the need.   These students may NOT be students that are placed into the special education program for reading.  The students might receive additional support in the classroom during Guided Reading time, Literacy Centers, or Accelerated Reader time or in a small group (or individually) in the Title One room,   Our school also services students with identified reading needs in Grades K-5 from St. John’s elementary school. 

How does my child qualify for the Title One Reading Program at Edgar? 

Students are assessed in the area of reading based upon various reading assessments, and recommendations from their current/past teacher.  Those students that show they are reading at or below their current grade reading level will be further assessed by a Title One Reading teacher to see if they qualify for additional reading support through Title One.    Services will be limited to accomodate small reading groups.  Students that qualify for Title One services will be sent a letter home that addresses the support provided.  
 

Will my child be pulled from their classroom reading program?

Each student chosen for the Title One reading program will be put into a reading group based upon their LLI reading level (not necessarily their current grade level).  Title One is NOT meant to replace the regular reading instruction of the classroom teacher and will be an additional service provided to support the student in the area of reading.  The student will still be exposed to and will be responsible for their current grade level reading program and assignments.  When the Title One teacher and the classroom teacher have noticed significant progress (based off of the current reading assessments), the student may be dismissed from the program.

What will my child work on in the Title One Reading program?
 

Students will be given small group instruction in the areas of fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, phonemic awareness, and writing.  Students will work on Literacy activities specific to their skill needs and will be given additional reading support suggestions for the classroom. Edgar School primarily uses the Leveled Literacy Intervention Program (LLI) for Title One Literacy instruction.

What does an LLI lesson look like?

Each LLI lesson typically includes:  

• Re-reading a familiar book
• Phonics Instruction
• Introduction and reading of a new book

    Students are introduced to a new book every day. The books are carefully sequenced to help students apply what they know from previous texts – to build a reading vocabulary of high frequency words as well as words that need to be decoded; to read for fluency and efficient processing and confidence; and to build reading comprehension through intentional conversations and explicit instruction.  Lessons include before reading, during reading, and after reading prompts. 

• Writing about reading

    Every other day, in each 10 lesson sequence the children write. Writing helps the students analyze new words using letter sound relationships and word parts. Writing also helps the students increase and extend their comprehension of new text. 

• Letter and Word Work 

      The purpose of this part of the LLI lesson is to engage the students in hands-on work to familiarize students with how print works.  By using magnetic letters, picture cards, word cards and other materials students become aware of similarities, differences, and patterns in words.

More information regarding the LLI program overview can be found at: 
    http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/lli_Overview.aspx
 

     or http://www.greenwichcsd.org/k6/law/LLI.htm
 

What can I expect my child to bring home for LLI? 

Your child will take home a reading folder with a take home book to be read daily, signed, and brought back for the lesson the next day.  It is very important that your child returns their book and reading folder the next day so a new lesson can be worked on.
 

Meet the Title One Reading Teacher
 

Mrs. Jodi Smith graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree in Elementary Education and an Early Childhood degree from UW-Stout.  Right after graduation, Mrs. Jodi Smith taught at the UW Stout Child & Family Study Center as a cooperating teacher for student teachers in the Infant/Toddler Lab.  In the fall, she was hired at Edgar Elementary to teach Kindergarten.  Due to the SAGE program, Mrs. Smith moved with the class teaching First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, and then another year of Kindergarten.  When the former Title One Reading teacher passed away unexpectedly, Mrs. Smith went to school to finish her Reading 316 degree and became the school's Title One reading teacher.  In addition to teaching Title One, Mrs. Jodi Smith also helps with Response to Intervention Groups (RTI), Middle School reading, and the Gifted and Talented program.  Mrs. Smith also helps with Literacy fun nights and is the head of the Accelerated Reader committee.  Mrs. Smith currently lives in Wausau with her husband, her son Jordan, and two cats.  

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW TITLE ONE READING PAGE FOUND AT:
https://sites.google.com/a/gapps.edgar.k12.wi.us/edgar-title-one-reading/



Selection Process:  Students are selected for the Title One Reading Program based upon a filled out Need’s Assessment from their previous teacher as well as current testing data.  Needs Assessment forms are given out in the spring of the year.  Teachers are asked to rank the students in order of the highest need.  The Needs Assessment is based upon a student’s reading performance in the classroom as well as the DIBELS assessment. Students are then tested using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Asessment System to determine what level they are currently reading at.  If a student is behind level, they may be added to the Title One program.  A letter is sent home to parents indicating that their child is a good candidate for Title One.

Dismissal Process:  Students are dismissed from the Title One Program when the Title One Teacher and the classroom teacher feel that the student is able to succeed in the regular classroom without additional instruction.  The parents are notified of the dismissal and a letter is put into the students file.  The student is kept on the student progress monitoring and “watch list” to be sure that his or her progress continues.