State grant helps focus on young readers
Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” The Northridge Local Schools, as well as districts across the Miami Valley, know this is true.
Reading is the foundational skill needed for success in life. In fact, research shows that students who are unable to read at grade level by third grade are four to 13 times more likely (depending on other demographics) to fail to graduate than students who read at or above a proficient level in third grade.
As a result of these staggering statistics, Northridge, in cooperation with the Bradford Exempted Village Schools and Milton Union Exempted Village Schools, applied for a nearly $1.1 million Striving Readers Grant offered by the Ohio Department of Education.
Our application focused on K-5 literacy, looking at phonics and reading data across grade levels, state testing trend data in grades 3-12, community data, and research-based best practices that would positively impact the reading ability of our students. This joint application went through a competitive review process last spring, and we are extremely excited to have been one of only 46 applications chosen statewide to receive this grant.
The grant will bring critical resources and professional development into classrooms and buildings and help to improve crucial literacy skills for all students within our district.
The major components of our Striving Readers Grant include:
Orton-Gillingham training for teachers in grades K-5
Teachers and support staff have been trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction. This is a multi-sensory approach that incorporates auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learning, and will greatly benefit all of our students.
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional development for teachers in grades K-5
LETRS is an online professional development program for teachers and administrators centered on the science and research behind literacy and spelling. Teachers are learning more about how the brain develops and about best practices related to the five essential components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, in order to positively impact student achievement.
Academic Parent-Teacher Team (APTT) training and implementation
Academic Parent-Teacher Teams provide the opportunity for teachers and parents to collaboratively study student data and develop impactful strategies for parents to use to help their children learn academic skills at home. APTT will improve communication and cooperation between teachers and parents in order to understand and meet the needs of our students and to ensure student success.
Literacy coach support for English Language Arts (ELA) teachers in grades K-5
The Striving Readers Grant has allowed our district to hire an experienced literacy coach who will collaborate with, assist and guide teachers and administrators in utilizing the critical resources and effectively implementing the best practices provided by the grant.
We know that change takes time, but we are eager to see the positive impact that these resources and practices will have on the literacy skills and overall development of our amazing students.