Extra reading help pays off in Batavia schools

By giving some elementary students a little more time and attention, Batavia schools are improving reading scores, according to a report given Tuesday.

Associate Superintendent Jan Wright said at-risk students from kindergarten to second grade can be pulled out of classes to spend an additional 30 minutes per day on reading. The curriculum for elementary students calls for 60 to 90 minutes of reading per day.

By identifying and intervening early, about 60 percent of the students are at or above reading levels on fifth-grade standardized tests, she said.

In the program, a reading resource teacher works with small groups of children, providing intensive instruction on phonetic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading for meaning.

Kids work on words, new-book reading, sentence writing and repeated reading.

"We want to help these kids as soon as we can," said Deb Hays, assistant director for teaching and learning. "We want them to feel good about themselves and be good readers."

Wright investigated the program by looking at seven groups of students who have taken the additional reading time, with results for the past seven years.

At-risk students for reading can come from any area. Wright said that socio-economic status, race and gender for the kids in the program are consistent with demographics for the district.

Also, students in the reading program score well on standardized verbal and composite test scores.

"These are just students that need a little more instruction in an important area," Wright said.

Most kids stay in the program for one year, with 72 percent of them in first grade. Only 13 percent of students in the program stay in it all three years, Wright said. The program has been in place for about 10 years.

Taking a look at the program and its results, Wright said she would like to keep evaluating the program and continue to help kids read at their grade level.

"Education programs like this are the heart and soul of this district," Superintendent Jack Barshinger said.