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Greenville City Schools News Article

Reading Interventions at Greenville Elementary Schools

Empowering Students Through Targeted Instruction -Amber Acevedo
 
At Greenville Elementary, the commitment to student literacy is fundamental to academic success. Greenville Elementary has implemented a variety of evidence-based reading interventions designed to meet the needs of students from kindergarten through fourth grade. These interventions support struggling readers and enhance the skills of all learners, ensuring every child has the foundation necessary for academic achievement.

One of the primary reading interventions used by Greenville City Schools is Orton-Gillingham (OG), a teaching method known for its structured, multisensory teaching techniques. The OG approach is an essential part of core instruction for students in kindergarten through third grade, laying a solid foundation for developing early reading and writing skills.

OG focuses on explicit phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, with a strong emphasis on the connection between sounds and letters. By using auditory, visual, and kinesthetic modalities, students engage multiple senses, which enhances retention and understanding.
For students in kindergarten through third grade, Orton-Gillingham provides a foundation for students to prepare them for reading. Teachers help students decode words, recognize patterns, and develop their fluency in reading and writing. In fourth grade, when some students may still need additional support, OG continues as part of a targeted intervention strategy to make sure that no student falls behind in their literacy development.

In addition to Orton-Gillingham, Greenville Elementary also uses IXL, an interactive learning platform that delivers instruction to meet the needs of each student. IXL offers personalized learning paths for students to work at their own pace and target specific areas for growth and mastery. Teachers can use the reports from IXL to decide what needs that students have. This helps teachers gear their small group instruction/intervention.

IXL gives students instant feedback and targeted practice in essential skills, such as grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program adapts based on each student's performance. IXL gives students multiple opportunities to practice a skill to gain mastery. IXL helps reinforce concepts taught in the classroom and provides students with opportunities for independent practice.

In first grade, a select few students have been receiving Reading Recovery instruction from Mrs. Swisher and Mrs. Arnett, who have been trained in the Reading Recovery program. They have the opportunity to work one on one with a student in order to help them gain literacy skills that they have not gained previously. The primary aim is to bring students up to the average level of their peers in reading and writing so they can continue learning independently in their classroom.

NWEA MAP assessments provide valuable data on student progress and show specific areas where a student may need added support. These assessments are given three times throughout the year. Teachers also rely on classroom assessment and observations such as reading fluency tests, and comprehension checks to form small groups for intervention. By grouping students according to their skill levels, teachers can provide differentiated instruction based on their needs.

Examples of interventions can be guided reading, phonics drills, fluency, or comprehension activities, depending on what the students need. Teachers monitor and adjust their teaching, as necessary.

The reading interventions at Greenville Elementary are aligned with the district's commitment to literacy and academic success. By using a range of instructional strategies and data to drive decision-making, GES provides students with a strong framework for literacy development. These efforts, rooted in research-based practices like Orton-Gillingham and supported by technology like IXL, are helping the students become more independent, and fluent readers.
 

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