Reading Recovery in the News - April 2010

Parents Teachers Praise Reading Recovery / abc27 News Video
abc27 News - Palmyra, PA
April 30, 2010

The Palmyra Area School District credits a one-on-one program with helping students who struggle with reading and writing.
 

Superintendent aims for 100% grad rate
Edmonton Journal - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
by Sarah O'Donnell
April 29, 2010

When the 200 principals and top administrators within Edmonton Public Schools gathered for their monthly meeting in early April, Supt. Edgar Schmidt had a question for them: "What's happening with the Grade 2 kids?"

NOT LEFT TO CHANCE. "If we want to get everybody across that finish line, we need to make sure services we provide were designed into the organization, rather than leaving it to chance -- the chance that I've got the funds in my school account, or no, I can't do that this year," Schmidt said.

Take a program such as Reading Recovery, where a specialized teacher works one-on-one with students who are reading or writing below grade level. Currently, schools must pick up the cost of that reading specialist after the first year.

"We have Reading Recovery available in about 65 schools, but the need is much greater than that," Schmidt said. "So how could we provide that extra level of support for every area elementary school? Let's have that conversation. In order for us to do that, we'll have to talk about some trade-offs."


IU School of Education names new Armstrong Teacher Educators
Indiana University News Release - Bloomington, IN
April 23, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Education has announced a class of six Indiana public school teachers as the group of Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators for the 2010-11 school year. These select teachers will participate in professional development opportunities and work with IU faculty and students studying to be teachers over the next year. A committee of IU faculty and former recipients choose the Armstrong teachers.

...Natalie Hatton, second grade and Reading Recovery teacher at Crestdale Elementary School in Richmond. Driven by her goal of finding innovative ways to teach literacy to primary students, she has created several projects to help her students. Teaming with IU East Associate Professor of English Jean Harper, college students and first graders have worked together on a "Literacy through Photography" project. Another year-long unit integrated science and literacy by a study of trees. "Inspired by several workshops I attended in the past few years, I tried out some unique teaching techniques that have helped to motivate my students," Hatton said. "I hope to do a project with the support of an IU faculty member and IU students that enhances my second grade classroom, especially in the area of literacy or science. One thing I am particularly interested in improving through this opportunity is my ability to question students in a way that makes them more critical thinkers."

Bible Hill educator recognized for excellence in teaching
Truro Daily News - Nova Scotia, Canada
April 22, 2010

TRURO - A teacher from a Bible Hill school is being commended for his excellence in teaching.

Shawn McNutt of Bible Hill Central Elementary School was one of three educators honoured this week with a Provincial Education Week award.

McNutt, a reading recovery and physical education teacher, is known within the teaching community as an educator who constantly meets the motivational and learning needs of all his students by embracing empathy, respect and genuineness in the classroom.