Sat, Jul 19 2008
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Published April 24, 2007 12:26 am - Wagoner school reading program earns international award By Cathy Spaulding Phoenix Staff Writer WAGONER — By replacing a magnetic C with a magnetic F, Ellington Elementary School first-grader Savannah Dieter shows teacher Karen Harlow how she can make a whole new word.
In another classroom, kindergartners tell reading teacher Judy Hall how Cocoa the Cat stopped killing birds. In the school’s hall, four bicycles hang from walls as incentives to get students to read even more. Ellington educators can’t point to a single program that makes their school so successful at reading. “It’s teamwork,” said kindergarten teacher Lindsey Butler. Officials with the Oklahoma Reading Association noted such teamwork by awarding Ellington with its 2007 Exemplary Reading Program Award. School officials will pick up the award May 13 at the International Reading Association’s annual convention in Toronto. A press release for the International Reading Association described Ellington’s program as “a balanced comprehensive literacy program.” “Based in reading research, all students receive daily practice in guided/small group reading, independent reading, writing and working with words,” the release said about the school, which serves kindergarten and first grades. “Technology, including Smart Boards in each room, help students read online books and practice skills. Teachers provide a variety of literacy experiences.” Butler, and first-grade teacher Amy Cantrell, attributed their school’s reading success to a cooperative effort among teachers, administrators, parents, even the community. “Our administration is very supportive,” Cantrell said. “They let us do our own programs that are research-based.” An educated faculty also helps, Butler said. “70 percent of our teachers have Master’s degrees in reading, early childhood education or school administration.” Butler said the school does not use any particular reading curriculum, except to meet the state-mandated P.A.S.S. objectives, curricula for each grade level. P.A.S.S. stands for Priority Academic Student Skills. Guided reading plays a big part in the school’s program, she said. Guided reading involves putting students into small groups, according to their ability to read, for 30 minutes of intense work. “It’s reading aloud, it’s comprehension, it’s phonics, it’s spelling,” Butler said. On Monday, Hall’s group of kindergartners talked about what they learn as they read the Cocoa the Cat book. 
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