During the 2000/01 school year Riverton Elementary applied for and was granted participation as a Alabama Reading Initiative Site.  In June of 2001,  the RES faculty participated in a two week reading workshop.  This is a commitment by the state of Alabama to have all children reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade.  We were given many strategies to use with our students.  Our commitment with DIBELS  (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)  and the University of Oregon gave our school a head start. During the 2000/01 school year we began feeding information to the University of Oregon after our students completed three rounds of testing.  We have found that by using DIBELS we get a starting point to work with our students.

DIBELS is an assessment tool we will use, there are sets of tests given to students to test fluency.  Each grade level has a different set of tests.  Kindergarten and First grade have a more detailed test that must be given to each student. They look for letter/sound recognition and pronunciation of nonsense clusters.  Second through fourth grades have three stories students read at each of three times of the year. Students are tested for fluency- they have one minute to read as much as they can, we also listen for inflection and expression.

S.T.A.R.  is another assessment tool we will use with our students.  This test will help us place students at a reading level where they will be most comfortable reading (ZPD- Zone of Proximal Development).

We will still use Accelerated Reader.  AR is a motivational tool for students.  Students get some feedback on their understanding of the literature they have read and the questions that are asked about the literature.  Teachers in K, 1, and 2 want students to read and hear their books at least 3 times (read to your child, let your child read independently (K will do this as the student is ready), and read with (together) your child).  Students need to read a piece of literature several times to fully understand it, all children learn differently as well as read differently.  Remember to celebrate READING with children.

Riverton Elementary will focus attention on the Language Arts block of time, by putting a focus on reading and writing, we also focus on all areas of the curriculum.  We will still use HASP, content area textbooks, and recommend that everyone help students memorize number patterns in kindergarten, basic addition and subtraction facts in first and second grades, and multiplication and division facts in third and fourth grades.  Reading and writing, however, do impact all areas of our curriculum.  We want to influence students and adults to become life long readers and learners.

This website has been created as a resource for teachers and parents. As worthwhile sites are found they will be added, so check back often.  If you would like a link added, email it to  jvines@madison.k12.al.us and it will be checked out.
  Second Grade Word Reading List

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