Weakley Readers Information

The Weakley Readers program is progressing right along in this fourth six weeks of school. We are at a "break" time for first and second graders while we review and prepare to take the TCAP test during April. The Kindergarten students will continue with groups until after Spring Break. During the month of May, all students will be benchmarked and DIBELed for the last time to see how much progress everyone has made this year.

What is the "Weakely Readers Reading Program?" If is a systematic approach of meeting the reading needs of the individual child based upon the child's strengths. Dr. Beverly Tyner, a Tennesseean, and recognized reading specialist, devised a systematic plan (called a differentiated reading model) which allows children of like strengths to work in groups of 6 or less on skills in sounds, letters, words, word families, sight words, sentences, and leveled texts. Trained instructors provide lesson plans specific to tartgetted skills to instruct in a block of time from 30 to 45 minutes daily. Leveled texts are key to the building process of reading, thus the 'bookroom' provides a diversity of sebjects in each level of 1 to 30. Reading instructors check out levels based upon children's strengths that provide opportunities to use introduced and l arned reading strategies and word skills while slightly challenging the reader to explore newly introduced strategies and concepts. Leveled texts, matching card games, sight word exposure, specialized word exposure, writing exercises and conversation are geared toward specific daily goals. One main goal of the program is to strengthen reading and writing through providing systematic reading strategies, leveled texts, sight word exposure, and dissecting / matching words while in a positive learning environment. Our ambition is that the children will transfer the skills learned in the small groups toward gaining positive results in all other subject areas in school.

The program appreciates the support of our principal, Mrs. Athalia Donaldson, who has always been a big fan of the program, even when she was a teacher just a couple of years ago.

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