Three area schools receive reading grants
Dec. 11—SHARPSVILLE — Some area schools are getting extra money as they prepare to alter how they teach students to read.
Tri-Central, Tipton and Northwestern were all recipients of an Indiana Department of Education Science of Reading grant.
The grants are meant to help schools implement evidence-based practices aligned with the science of reading.
Starting next school year, Indiana schools are required to teach curriculum related to the science of reading, a collection of research and best practices related to how the people learn to read and process language.
Tri-Central's grant netted the school district more than $112,000. It was a competitive grant process.
"It is a huge deal, because it provides resources and training and stipends to compensate teachers," said Shannon Rinehart, Tri-Central reading specialist and pre-K teacher.
Many of the funds will be used for professional development to help teachers learn about phonemic awareness.
Science of reading focuses on identifying what sounds certain collection of letters make. For example, the "dging" in words like bridging or edging.
If a student knows what letters make that sound, they'll know how to spell the word and figure out words with that sound they haven't come across before.
"Most are doing that already," said Christi DeWitt, Tri-Central Elementary intervention coordinator.
It's a change from what's called the three-cueing method where children are taught to figure out words by looking at the first letter or sound, a picture or using the context of the sentence the word appears in.
"That's how a lot of people taught when I first started here," Rinehart said, who's taught for 26 years.
Identifying sounds teaches students actual skills.
"This is kind of a return to phonic-based reading concepts," said Tipton Superintendent Ryan Glaze.
He said the school corporation will use its $149,768 grant in similar ways as Tri-Central, mainly professional development and materials.
DeWitt said Tri-Central teachers give students "cold" spelling tests. Instead of getting a list of spelling words, teachers work with students on a certain vowel sound, for example.
Then at the end of the lesson, students are given a spelling test of words with that vowel sound.
They don't know the words ahead of time but should be able to spell them based on learning the vowel sound.
"It's really a progress check for us," DeWitt said.
Other grant funds will go toward materials and stipends for teachers who take professional development opportunities.
Science of reading is not a curriculum. Instead, curriculum will have aspects of science of reading in it. Educators and schools must find the curriculum that fits their students needs.
"You won't have curriculum that fits all pillars of reading," DeWitt said.
Essentially, schools will have to mix and match.
Many schools already have science of reading components in their existing curriculum, including Tri-Central. Rinehart said they are seeing students improve, year over year.
"People are doing the right thing, we just need tweak it," Rinehart said. "We are making changes that are making progress for kids."
Northwestern School Corporation's grant is worth $149,863.
Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.
