Dear Parent,
The
teaching of reading has changed dramatically in just the last few years. We now
know that reading is actually made-up of five basic skills. These skills build
on each other to develop the ability to read and comprehend all types of material.
The five main areas are: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and
Comprehension.
It is important that a student master all five areas to become
a proficient reader. Phonemic Awareness is usually mastered by the end of
kindergarten. Students generally master Phonics by the end of second-grade. The
other three areas continue to develop throughout a person’s life.
At the start of school all students were given a short,
five minute,
assessment using the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy or DIBELS
test. DIBELS measures all five of the
reading areas. Data from DIBELS and other assessments like the
All students are assessed three times a year using DIBELS.
Students in the academic tutor program are monitored using DIBELS every three to
four weeks to insure progress is being made in the area the student is working.
Students in the academic tutor program are put into
programs specific to the student’s area of weakness. Students usually work for
30 minutes in small groups of 4 to 8 students, with a trained professional.
The website, http://dibels.uoregon.edu,
provides an in-depth overview of reading instruction as well as the DIBELS
measurement system. If you have additional questions about the
Academic Tutor program or the DIBELS assessment please call
October After
School Program
If you would like to register your child for
the October After School
session, the
registration forms are available in the Westside Office.
If your child is currently enrolled in the
September session you need
only call Shelley
Hill at
first come-first
served basis. Payments are due by
October 5th.