Empowering young minds with a proven literacy program

Key points:

By the time students reach middle or high school, their attention spans are limited, screens are omnipresent, and reading takes a backseat to many other responsibilities. This is unfortunate because reading is truly the cornerstone of academic success, and students who did not master the skill during their elementary years may face a significant uphill battle in completing their education.

The consequences of early literacy difficulties have been well documented. In my role as a secondary interventionist and curriculum specialist, I have witnessed these consequences firsthand. With a focus on students in grades 7-12, I have made it my mission to help struggling readers reach proficiency. More specifically, our secondary teachers help our struggling students score a three or higher on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), a milestone that effectively frees them from having to take intensive reading courses.

Harnessing the power of technology

A tool I have used on this journey is read LETTERS (Language Foundations for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), a structured literacy training course based on the science of reading that provides knowledge and tools that teachers can use with any reading program.

Before enrolling in the course, I knew nothing about the Scarborough rope (a visual metaphor used to explain the complex nature of reading) or the simple view of reading (a model that explains the core components of reading comprehension).

I also learned that all three areas of the brain must be connected through specific, explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, phonemic awareness development, and the implementation of multisensory intervention.

This new knowledge helped me open up a whole new world for my students. Now, I am redoubling my efforts and sharing that knowledge with all of our teachers, whom I want to help understand what we are doing, how we are doing it, and the positive impacts of those actions.

4 steps to a successful literacy program

Students are the primary beneficiaries of professional learning, technology investments, and other efforts schools make on the literacy front. Often, students would arrive in my classroom for the first time with their hoodies pulled over their heads, fearful of what lay ahead and what awaited them. They don’t want to interact with anyone, and by the time they reach age 7, they can’t anymore.^He Grade, they definitely don't want to be reminded of their reading struggles.

Below are four steps we have taken to overcome these barriers and create a successful literacy program for middle and high school students:

1. Give them a safe space to learn. Children need to feel safe, welcome, and engaged in the process. I offered snacks and drinks to help them feel more comfortable. We used the Lexia's power boost literacy platform to accurately measure each student’s individual path, access resources, and watch videos together, all with the goal of creating that “safe space” for learning to happen. These steps may seem basic, but they are critical because many of my students had been mentally beaten down over time. My goal was to create a completely different environment in the classroom that would make kids say, “Wait, Ms. Sado is actually going to do something for me. This is what I want.” curriculum “It’s actually going to do something for me.” When they started seeing their name on the board, in a positive light, for having reached certain milestones in the program, the energy was palpable and they really got involved.

2. Emphasize progress. I had two large white boards on the walls of my classroom. I used all the available space to list my students’ names and their biggest accomplishments, noting the number of minutes, units, and “level ups” that students completed and achieved. Students love seeing their names “circled” and they love the recognition. This makes them want to achieve more. When they see their streaks growing and growing, it boosts their confidence, something that has rarely, if ever, happened to them in their academic careers.

3. Involve your teachers. Created professional learning for summer literacy session and training day; organized a training session where 25 teachers understood because We do what we do at the secondary level. The teachers were very excited about it. There were people sitting in the room with me who I know are resistant to what we're doing and don't agree with it, and when we were done, they asked me to share my presentation with them. They understood what we were doing and they got it. This approach can help both districts and teachers understand that secondary reading teachers don't know that they have to operate like elementary reading teachers (all while figuring out how to make it work for tweens and teens).

4. Leverage data to conduct the reading orchestra. Our literacy platform helped me go from “not really understanding what my students needed to know” to being able to look at each student individually to determine if they are at the second grade or basic level in word study. By using data, I am now like the conductor in the classroom, where I can have the string section go here, the bass section play at this point, and make it all happen. I have a folder for each student, so I can also do quick data chats with them and talk privately about where they are, their progress, and their future goals.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

The job of the modern teacher is multifaceted, and a rising tide lifts all boats. Today, approximately 60 percent of our students are proficient in reading, and in some cases we have increased those percentages by 10 points (up from 37 percent-40 percent in the past). The positive benefits extend far beyond the walls of my classroom: overall behaviors improve, and because they can now read proficiently, students also do better in classes like science, social studies, and math—all areas where our test scores have also improved.

For me, the rewards also extend beyond the school day and standardized tests. Some of my former students have come to me to brag about how they passed their classes and how excited they are to graduate from high school. They also tell me about their college and career aspirations, and those conversations fill my heart with joy.

For example, I recently met with a Home Depot alumnus, where he currently works as a manager and is in college, earning his medical technician degree. It's just phenomenal to see this happening before my eyes.

Michelle Sado, Clay County School District
Michelle Sado is a Secondary Interventionist and Curriculum Specialist at Clay County Schools in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
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