What is Literacy at Joel School?
Our philosophy for literacy is that students learn by doing. That is why we have embraced the reader's and writer's workshop model. In this approach, students participate in a common mini lesson and then have independent time to practice implementing the skill that was taught. Teachers give strategies and advice to students through conferencing to assist students in working towards individual academic literacy goals.
Joel Literacy Specialists and Interventionists
The Joel Literacy Team provides leadership and coordination of the Language Arts curriculum to the school. This team offers a variety of services to fit the progression and needs of teachers and students. The Literacy Team assists in the design and delivery of ongoing, job-embedded professional development and coaching with teachers for powerful reading and writing instruction.
What is a coach?
Coaching is a continuous improvement cycle of job embedded professional development. Sharing and demonstrating research-based instructional frameworks, strategies, and tools are the key elements that facilitate both teacher and student learning
What is an interventionist?
An interventionist provides strategic supports to close the gaps in student understanding and assist in success in the classroom setting. Specifically designed intervention strategies are focused on targeted skill development that are vital to help students build reading foundations to accelerate achievement.
| Holly Kennedy-Levy |
Literacy Specialist & Coach |
| Brittany Macellaro |
Literacy Specialist & Coach |
| Lauren Devin |
Literacy Specialist & Coach |
For more info about literacy, please visit our website
https://sites.google.com/a/clintonpublic.net/literacy/
Intervention & Assessment
Universal Screening assessment is administered three times a year to all students. We use the DIBELS, which is a series of 1 minute subtests, to get a quick data point to ensure students are performing at expectation.
The DRA2 is a more in depth reading assessment. Students read short leveled text and are asked to respond both orally and written (depending on level). This assessment is used in combination with the DIBELS to determine how students apply their reading skills.
Students who have difficulty on these assessments are evaluated further by the literacy specialists to determine if support is needed. For more information on intervention, please see the literacy website