The Chinook’s Edge School Division’s multi-year Literacy Framework project has wrapped up and is now in use, marking an important milestone for education in the region, say officials.
The framework outlines four foundational pillars in literacy. They are reading readiness, word recognition, comprehension and writing, all based on an oral language foundation.
The reading readiness pillar includes alphabetic sound-symbol connections and print awareness.
The word recognition pillar includes expression, word automaticity, phonics and phonological awareness.
The comprehension pillar includes text structure, metacognitive skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge.
The writing pillar includes assessments, strategies, skills and quality writing environment.
The framework is “constructed to dig down into information that includes links to research, strategies and best practices, identified competencies and outcomes and more.”
The framework gives teachers from K to 12 “research-informed strategies to help students attain higher literacy skill levels."
The framework includes literacy assessment timelines for Grade 1 students, grades 2-3 students, and grades 4-11 students.
For example, the literacy assessment timeline for the grades 4-11 students calls for teachers of all subjects to identify strategies for students needing targeted supports that can be used to help struggling students in the classroom.
“Listen to your students read as often as possible. When students are struggling, check to see if understanding text is the problem. Look at non-level A accomplishments, (such as) increase in stamina, finishing a novel, finding good fit books, no more fake reading, and participating in a conversation about their reading.
“For students in the targeted and individualized range, ideally, assess quarterly to ensure the proper strategies are being used.”
The project was spearheaded by a three-person team made up of principals Jody Dennis, Angelia Eadie-Gyori and Carolyn Massel.
“Literacy is our number 1 division goal and we know it is vital for student success,” Massel, who is with Westglen School in Didsbury, said in a press release “Results show a huge improvement in our students’ reading levels and a steady measure of upward success.
“We are so excited with the results today. Now all our teachers have this data, they know high levels of success are possible for our students and we’re reaching it together in Chinook’s Edge. This has impacted every school.”
Dennis added, “The coursework is one thing, but we want kids to read for pure enjoyment. Love of literacy is the goal. If we create kids who love to read, they will reach success. The process honoured what the three of us were so passionate about and it has been such an exciting project.”
She recognized Lissa Steele, associate superintendent of learning services, for her “clear vision of how we could grow as a division. She persisted and supported moving this forward, and this is a legacy piece for her because she made it a reality.”
The complete framework can be found in the learning services section of the division’s website, at cesd73.ca.
