Norridgewock Central Grade School has been awarded a federally funded Reading First Grant. The goal of the grant is to ensure that all K-3 students will read proficiently by the end of third grade.  The National Reading Panel has conduct scientifically based reading research. This reading research reinforces and supplements current practices at NCGS.

Listed below are the five essential elements used to successfully teach students to read.

1. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words.  Example:  sh  a  ck has 3 sounds this is a 1st step to learning to read.
2. Phonics is the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between spoken language and the letters and spellings that represent those sounds in written language. Example: b says /b/, a says /a/, t says /t/, knowing this helps me spell bat and read bat.
3. Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly and with understanding.  Being fluent will help me comprehend because I am not spending energy figuring out new words.
4. Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively.  Knowing many words helps me figure out new words I am seeing for the first time.
5. Comprehension is the reason for reading

Over a 3- year period, the grant will provide:

The History of the NCGS Reading First Grant

The K-2 staff at NCGS began talking about the possibility of applying for a Reading First Grant in the spring of 2003.  The staff was very excited about the professional development opportunities and the opportunity to address student needs using research based instruction and assessment materials.  When the Request For Proposals (RFP) became available January 2004 a grant writing committee was formed and each grant writer was assigned a section to write.  Many hours were spent working independently and meeting as a group so that the grant was not only complete, but flowed from one section to another.  When the March deadline came for submission, we were ready!

Literacy Grant  Materials and Staff Development

With the Reading First Grant we were able to purchase  the new 2005 Houghton Mifflin Reading Series which included the anthology, practice books,  little reading books above, on, and below level as well as phonics materials and assessment tools to enable us to check on the level of progress during the three years of the grant.  Another part of the grant has allowed us to do some staff development.  After the school year ended last year, all the teachers in grades k-2 attended a training session in Augusta for two days.  In the middle this year, several of the members of the leadership team will attend three day training in South Portland on assessment tools as well as learning about the grant responsibilities.  In November, 7 staff members will be attending Literacy Conference in Providence, R.I.  Over the next three years all the staff members who are taking part in the grant will be attending

Norridgewock Family Literacy
Reading First Grant

As part of the Reading First grant at NCGS, the Family Literacy Coordinator, Alberta Cole, will be able to assist five families in their efforts to support their children’s academic achievement.

The Family Literacy Coordinator will facilitate meetings with the five families, offer support in effective strategies for reading and language building at home, and provide informational videotapes and books for each of the five families.

In addition to the training and support offered by the Family Literacy Coordinator, a variety of programs from parent service providers will be used to help Norridgewock parents and child care providers with children from birth to grade three. Some of the special events will be a “Parents As Teachers” group, Maine PBS Ready To Learn educational TV workshops, presenters from Child Care Options, and other resources.

Maine Reading First Course

The Reading First Grant, which Norridgewock Central Grade School was awarded, is offering a two-hour, 17-session course offered after school. All K-3 educators at NCGS and other educators from the district are participating in the Maine Reading First Course. The course goals are:

1. To build educator’s understanding of the characteristics of schools with effective literacy programs that support achievement of Maine Learning Results.
2. To develop teachers’ understanding that reading is a complex system of deriving meaning from print.
3. To promote the understanding that there is no one single method of teaching reading, but that excellent teachers of reading share several critical qualities.

Assessment Procedures

  As part of the Reading First grant, a consistent assessment process, grades K-3, has been initiated at Norridgewock Central Grade School.  Three assessment tools have been chosen, based on their reliability, validity, and correlation with school, district, and state goals. These assessments are: DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), ERDA (Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment), and Terra Nova. 

Assessment descriptions:

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)           

The DIBELS is an assessment designed to measure early literacy skills.   The DIBELS is a required assessment, chosen by the State of Maine Department of Education.  Each subtest is administered individually and requires minimal time to complete.  Results from the DIBELS will be analyzed to determine individual and classroom strengths and weaknesses. All classroom teachers, special educators, and reading specialists will be trained in the administration of the DIBELS.

ERDA (Early Reading Developmental Assessment)

The ERDA will be used as the primary diagnostic measurement.    It is also recommended by the Maine Department of Education for diagnostic purposes.  Members of the Intervention Team will be trained in the administration of the ERDA.  Other staff members will be trained in using ERDA results to enhance and design appropriate intervention and instructional strategies to assist all students in literacy development.            

Terra Nova
The Terra Nova subtests are group-administered tests and will be utilized as an outcome measure.  These subtests have also been endorsed by the Maine Department of Education.  Teachers and specialists will be trained in the administration of these subtests.  In addition, staff will receive training on how to analyze and utilize test data to assist in instructional planning.         

Screening Assessment:

The DIBELS will be administered to all K-3 students early in the school year.  In addition, all students enrolling in school during the year will be screened. Screening data will be used to design instruction, group children by needs and reading levels, provide a baseline reading level for each student, and place new students in appropriate instructional groups.  Screening data will assist teachers in focusing the emphasis of their reading instruction, by pointing out class and individual strengths and weaknesses in the five essential elements.

Diagnostic Assessment

The Intervention Team will administer the ERDA to those students not meeting the screening benchmarks at each grade level. The ERDA will be administered as soon as possible after initial interventions have been used. The intervention team will meet with the classroom teacher to determine appropriate remediation for the student if needed. Diagnostic assessment data will be used to diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses, determine intervention strategies,  and assist classroom teachers with instructional materials and ideas as needed.  

Progress Monitoring

DIBELS subtests have been chosen as the progress monitoring assessment.  Progress monitoring will occur throughout the school year, with each student assessed at least once. Classroom teachers will conduct progress monitoring with support from the intervention team.   Individual monitoring time lines for additional measurement will be devised depending upon student need.  Progress monitoring will be used to document student progress.  It will also drive instruction to meet individual and class need.  Results from progress monitoring may also demonstrate a student’s need for further diagnostic assessment.

Outcome Measure

Outcome Measure assessment will be comprised of sections of the DIBELS along with Subtests from the Terra Nova, and will be administered by classroom teachers with support from the Intervention Team.  Results from these measures will be used to determine student attainment of skills.  Results will also be utilized to identify strength and weaknesses of the reading program to be addressed for the next school year. 

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Guided Reading

Reading Conferences

Independent Reading

Every day students have opportunities to practice reading books at their reading level

Phonics and Penmanship

Independent Work Stations

These students are working at the “Mix and Fix” Poetry Corner

Students enjoy a story at the Listening Center.

This student practices reading books in her book bag.

The math center this week connects with the story 10 Black Dots.