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Team Reports--September 1998
How Arkansas is implementing the research findings in the National Research Council Report, "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children."
In May, the Governor of Arkansas announced the Smart Start Initiative, the goal of which Is to have all children performing on grade level in reading by the fourth grade. Recognizing the benefit of intervention in the early years, Arkansas is focusing all of its efforts and resources on beginning reading instruction with emphasis on assessment to inform instruction and early intervention strategies. Staff development provided by 32 state-level reading specialists is provided at various levels: Early Literacy Learning in Arkansas (ELIA) for teachers grades K-2; EFFECTIVE LITERACY for Grades 2-4, for teachers grades 2-4; and McRAT for teachers in grades 3-8. In addition, training in the early intervention program, Reading Recovery, is provided in cooperation with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UAIR).
Russellville School District has been implementing a district-wide team approach in balanced literacy. The teachers were given time during the school day to meet with their grade-level colleagues from the other schools. There were in-service sessions on how to implement a balanced literacy approach in the classroom. An on-site staff developer gave the teachers personal support in transferring their learning back into the classroom. Their team meetings involved clear demonstrations, using explicit language, of how to introduce the components of balanced literacy. After the sessions, the teachers implemented what they had learned in their classrooms. Follow-up meetings allowed the teachers to review the new topic and to discuss the successes or failures they had encountered. At each literacy team meeting the teachers brought in teacher-made books, literacy-corner ideas, picture and word dictionaries, writing samples, running records, books they had selected for guided reading, the literacy portfolios of their theories and practice. The district is currently gathering data positive results on student achievement in reading/writing skills.
Patsy Fleniker
(501) 968-7901
(501) 968-8478 Fax
E-mail: pfleniker@edmin.afsc.k12.ar.us
[Colorado]