Flowertown Elementary School takes a comprehensive approach to reading assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students that integrates key components of literacy: oral language, phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These elements are essential in supporting students' ability to comprehend texts and meet the grade-level English/Language Arts (ELA) standards outlined by the state.

Oral Language development is the base of communication. Teachers foster this essential component through rich discussions and collaborative activities, which allow students to build the vocabulary and the expressive skills necessary for understanding texts. Teachers also use questioning techniques, read-alouds, and peer interactions to enhance students' spoken language abilities, which in turn strengthens their reading comprehension.

A critical foundational skill needed to transform young learners into future proficient readers is phonological/phonemic awareness. To ensure all students have opportunities to develop these listening and speaking skills, our teachers use a curriculum called Heggerty to deliver cumulative, systematic, explicit instruction to all students in grades 4K-2. This involves teaching students to recognize and manipulate the sounds within words, such as rhyming, segmenting, and blending sounds. The tasks become more complex as students’ understanding of how language can be broken into smaller parts or blended to form words increases. Additionally, we use phonological and phonemic screeners and diagnostic assessments to identify any gaps in students’ abilities and intervene early with targeted instruction.

Using UFLI phonics, our code instruction is systematic and explicit, with a strong emphasis on phoneme-grapheme relationships to help students decode words. With the UFLI curriculum, students engage in phonics activities that align with their developmental needs, ensuring they can read words accurately. We use screeners and diagnostic assessments to determine if students are learning the skills needed to decode written language or if additional phonics support is needed in a small group.

Fluency is addressed through repeated reading, modeling fluent reading, and providing opportunities for students to read aloud. Fluency instruction ensures students are not only able to read words accurately but also with appropriate speed, expression, and understanding, which is vital for comprehension. Within our HMH curriculum, there are fluency passages for students to practice reading. Teachers can monitor student progress and provide timely feedback to ensure this important skill is being developed.

Vocabulary development is woven into all aspects of our reading instruction. HMH Into Reading emphasizes explicit vocabulary instruction, helping students acquire new words through direct teaching and context clues. Because knowledge of word parts aids in comprehension, we emphasize the study of morphology to understand the meaning and origin of words in the English language. As students build their word knowledge, they are better able to access and understand complex texts.

Comprehension strategies are integrated throughout the curriculum and spiral throughout the school year. Students learn to make predictions, ask questions, summarize, and infer meaning as they read. Teachers guide students in using these strategies both during and after reading to enhance their understanding of texts. This scaffolding is key to ensuring that students can access grade-level materials and meet the state’s ELA standards.

To ensure instruction is meeting each student's needs, we use a variety of assessments. Aimweb screening tools help us monitor foundational skills such as phonological awareness and decoding in the lower grades, while MAP assessments are used school-wide to gauge overall reading proficiency. Common assessments on the Formative platform provide teachers with actionable data on students' progress in literacy components, and the results are used to adjust instruction as necessary.

By integrating these components into a cohesive reading program, Flowertown Elementary provides a well-rounded reading experience that builds essential skills sequentially. Regular assessments inform instruction, allowing educators to tailor their approaches to meet individual student needs. This multi-faceted strategy ensures that all students, regardless of their starting point, develop the skills necessary to read and understand grade-level texts effectively, ultimately meeting and exceeding English/Language Arts standards.

Prevailing research in the area of reading science has demonstrated the importance of foundational literacy skills in a student’s ultimate comprehension of text.  The Simple View of Reading identifies reading comprehension as the product of word recognition and language comprehension (Gough & Tunmer, 1986; Hoover & Tunmer, 2020).  Without proper word recognition skills, students will be unable to comprehend text that they attempt to read.  With word recognition skills playing such a vital role in reading comprehension, it is imperative to provide students with proper instruction to develop these important skills.  By analyzing Scarborough’s Reading Rope (2001), teachers can see that word recognition is accomplished through the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding skills, and building sight recognition of familiar words. 

Flowertown Elementary School is in our second year of implementing HMH’s Into Reading curriculum. HMH Into Reading is a comprehensive literacy program designed to support reading development for PreK-5th grade students. It incorporates a variety of strategies and assessments focused on word recognition, aligning with effective literacy practices to foster foundational skills.  The comprehensive word recognition framework emphasizes the importance of foundational literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency.

A variety of assessment options are available within the HMH Into Reading curriculum.  Diagnostic assessments identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in word recognition and other literacy skills, thus enabling educators to tailor instruction to meet individual needs.  Formative assessments are integrated throughout the curriculum, allowing teachers to monitor student progress in word recognition and providing data to inform instruction.  The program includes structured routines and reinforces word recognition through interactive read-alouds, guided reading, and independent practice.  Into Reading provides explicit, systematic instruction that directly addresses the phoneme-grapheme relationships, which is crucial for developing word recognition skills.  Engaging activities help students build their sight word vocabulary and enhance automaticity in reading. 

HMH Into Reading effectively utilizes a structured approach to word recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students. By integrating ongoing assessments, explicit instruction, engaging materials, and differentiated strategies, the program aligns with best practices in literacy education. This comprehensive framework ensures that all students develop strong word recognition skills, laying a solid foundation for reading success.

Using universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data effectively can help schools determine targeted pathways of intervention for students in PreK-5th grade who are struggling with reading proficiency. At Flowertown Elementary School, we begin with universal screening assessments that provide a broad overview of all students’ reading abilities.  These screening measures are administered three times per year and include measures of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. All students complete the NWEA MAP Growth Reading Assessment.  Additionally, all Kindergarten and 1^st grade students are administered the Aimsweb Plus Early Literacy Benchmark.  These universal screeners have been found to be valid and reliable, with an added benefit of providing norm-referenced data. 

School leaders and classroom teachers analyze the data from the universal screeners to identify trends and patterns. Additionally, individual student performance is compared against grade-level benchmarks to identify which students are at risk.  Typically, students who fall below the 30^th percentile are considered “unskilled readers” (Farral, 2012; Fletcher et al., 2019, Kilpatrick, 2015; Pennington, 2008).  These students are then provided with diagnostic assessments so teachers and leaders can gain deeper insights into specific areas of difficulty for individual students.  These assessments can pinpoint whether challenges lie in word recognition or language comprehension.  Flowertown Elementary School utilizes Read180 as a reading intervention program for students in grades 3 through 5. However, because we know that early, effective remediation can cause brain activation patterns to be normalized, we strive to provide extremely targeted intensive intervention on phonemic awareness, phonic decoding, and word recognition to our younger students who score below the 30^th percentile on universal screeners (Blachman et al., 2004; Simos et al., 2007). Utilizing diagnostic assessment results for our Kindergarten through 2^nd grade students allows us to focus on intervening at the lowest level of reading skill acquisition in order to effectively address early reading problems. By systematically using universal screener and diagnostic assessment data, we are able to effectively identify and address the specific needs of students, ensuring that interventions are both targeted and effective in improving reading proficiency.

Creating a system to help parents support their children as readers and writers at home involves clear communication, accessible resources, and community engagement. At Flowertown Elementary School, we take a comprehensive approach to help parents understand how they can support their readers and writers. 

Information sessions and workshops are scheduled throughout the year to cover topics such as phonics, comprehension strategies, writing techniques, and instructional practices and routines we implement at the school level.  Parents are invited to join these workshops to gain practical tips they can utilize at home. Parents are provided with free books and resources during these sessions and are taught specific strategies to effectively use the resources at home. Family curriculum events are also offered as a time when parents and students can work together to complete engaging literacy activities. We also share information about the Family Engagement Centers in the district.  These centers are open to all families in the district and provide resources for children aged 18 months to 18 years old.

In addition to providing parents with opportunities to learn how they can support the instruction their child receives at school, maintaining communication is a vital part of keeping parents informed of how they can support their students.  Teachers at Flowertown Elementary establish regular communication with parents about their child’s specific progress, strengths, and areas for improvement.  This year, we will begin providing parents with literacy guides that are easy-to-understand guides outlining key literacy skills by grade level, including activities parents can do at home to support these skills. 

Finally, in an effort to continuously grow in our goal of parent involvement, we gather parent input through surveys on the effectiveness of the resources and programs provided.  The data from these surveys helps us make adjustments based on parent feedback. By implementing this system, we empower parents to actively support their children’s literacy development, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances reading and writing skills both at home and at school.

To effectively monitor reading achievement and growth at both the classroom and school levels for PreK-5th grade students, Flowertown Elementary implements a comprehensive data-driven system. Universal screening assessments are conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of the academic year to identify students at risk of reading difficulties. These assessments measure key literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  We then use diagnostic tools for students who show significant gaps or challenges identified during universal screenings. These assessments provide in-depth information about specific areas of need (e.g., word recognition or language comprehension).  After analyzing the diagnostic data, we create action plans to address areas of concern for specific students or groups.  This may include targeted interventions or adjustments to classroom instruction. 

Flowertown Elementary School implements a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) structure to ensure decisions are based on the most current data. Every student receives Tier 1 high-quality classroom instruction.  Students who demonstrate the need for small-group interventions based on screening data receive Tier 2 small-group intervention in addition to their Tier 1 instruction.  For those students who require more intensive interventions due to significant challenges, Tier 3 intensive intervention is added to the Tier 2 and Tier 1 instruction.  Specific, measurable goals are set for each student receiving interventions.  Additionally, these students receive regular progress monitoring to assess their growth.  The Reading Coach maintains records of interventions provided to each student, including the type, duration, and frequency of support. The MTSS team then hosts monthly meetings for teachers and staff to analyze data collaboratively.  During these meetings, individual student progress is discussed, trends are identified, and instructional strategies are adjusted as needed. 

Finally, we use summative assessments at the end of the school year to evaluate overall reading achievement and growth.  This allows us to examine the effectiveness of the reading program and interventions at the school level so we can use the data to make informed decisions for the upcoming school year.  By implementing this systematic approach to monitoring reading achievement and growth, Flowertown Elementary ensures decisions regarding interventions are data-driven, targeted, and responsive to the needs of all students, ultimately fostering grade-level proficiency in reading.

Providing effective teacher training based on the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills is crucial for supporting all students in PreK-5th grade. We are fortunate at Flowertown Elementary School to participate in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), a professional development program designed to equip educators with a deep understanding of the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills. LETRS is grounded in the science of reading, providing educators with research-based insights into how students learn to read and write. The training covers cognitive processes involved in literacy development, ensuring teachers understand the neurological and linguistic foundations of reading.

LETRS emphasizes a structured literacy approach, which includes systematic, explicit teaching of phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This methodology helps all students, particularly those with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, to develop essential skills. The training teaches educators how to integrate these skills into cohesive reading instruction, ensuring a comprehensive approach to literacy. The training also focuses on the importance of phonological and phonemic awareness as foundational skills for reading. Teachers learn how to effectively teach these concepts through engaging and research-backed strategies. The professional development emphasizes the significance of vocabulary in reading comprehension and provides strategies for explicit vocabulary instruction, helping students build robust word knowledge. LETRS trains teachers to interpret various literacy assessments, enabling them to use data to inform instruction and monitor student progress effectively. Educators learn how to identify students at risk for reading difficulties and implement targeted interventions based on assessment data. LETRS is designed to improve student outcomes by equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to effectively teach reading and writing. The emphasis on foundational literacy skills directly supports student achievement in reading.

In addition to our LETRS training, we also utilize our on-site Reading Coach to work with teachers in their classrooms, modeling effective strategies and offering real-time feedback. Our coach also trains teachers on how to effectively use the curriculum and materials that align with structured literacy. Furthermore, our curriculum Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are established as a time for teachers to engage in reflective practices, collaborate, discuss best practices, and assess their instructional methods and the impact they have on student learning.

By systematically implementing these strategies, Flowertown Elementary ensures that all teachers are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support literacy development in all students from PreK to 5th grade. Furthermore, by providing a comprehensive, research-based training program, LETRS ensures that teachers in PreK-3^rd grade are well-prepared to support all students in developing strong literacy skills. The focus on structured literacy, the science of reading, and practical application empowers educators to make a significant impact on their students’ reading and writing proficiency.