Schools kick off iReady platform for students

Parish Howard, Augusta Chronicle
·2 min read
Elementary students across Jefferson County recently began using an new digital platform in class called iReady that helps identify learning gaps and creates individualized pathways for them to work on improving literacy and math skills.
Elementary students across Jefferson County recently began using an new digital platform in class called iReady that helps identify learning gaps and creates individualized pathways for them to work on improving literacy and math skills.

Snargg the blue horned alien made stops at elementary schools across Jefferson County recently to kick off use of the system’s new iReady digital learning platform.

Dana Williams, Jefferson County School System’s K to 5 Director of Teaching and Learning, said the new platform was launched in August, with all elementary grade students across the county.

“There are lots of learning games on there. It’s a fun and engaging way for students to strengthen their literacy and math skills,” Williams said.

The program uses games and videos to keep students engaged. Through the first games they play the system runs a diagnostic screener that identifies each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and then places them on a personalized pathway of instruction.

“No matter where the child is, it places them on a path that is best for them,” Williams said. “They work through that pathway daily, filling in the gaps in their learning where they need to be to be successful.”

All students in kindergarten through fifth grade log into the program daily at school for between 15 to 20 minutes. 

Snargg the blue horned alien made stops at elementary schools across Jefferson County recently to kick off use of the system’s new iReady digital learning platform.
Snargg the blue horned alien made stops at elementary schools across Jefferson County recently to kick off use of the system’s new iReady digital learning platform.

“They work on their individual personalized learning, but they are also able to work on other skills and games that enhance and accelerate their learning by giving them a lot of productive struggle and problem-solving approach,” Williams said. “There is a lot of scaffolded support so the child doesn’t just struggle. There are lots of teacher resources, giving our teachers other ways to work one-on-one with children.”

The program will also serve as a dyslexia screener as well as a new screener for the school system’s gifted program, providing new criteria by which students can be tested to enter that program.

Williams said that iReady will also show a correlation between how students are expected to score on the state Milestones tests, projecting the growth and stretch growth of students within certain timeframes.

“Once we can see the targeted scores, we can monitor what areas they are weak in and not so we can prepare them for those tests, but we also want them to be problem solvers and technology literate,” she said. “And since children learn in different ways, this gives us a different mode of teaching and we have seen success because it works on each child’s level, individualizing their experience so we know how to fill in their particular gaps or where they might be lacking.”

Teachers monitor student progress and when they see areas where they struggle, they can do additional instruction off the platform to address those needs.

During Snargg's visit he presented certificates to students at each school who have earned specific achievements through their use of the iReady program.
During Snargg's visit he presented certificates to students at each school who have earned specific achievements through their use of the iReady program.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Schools kick off iReady platform for students