Time to brag on our lady friend.

Crow

Crow

Marcus Was Right
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http://www.daily-times.com/search/ci_5199302

SHIPROCK — When 6-year-old Tia Woods first started to read, it was a little hard "sounding out the words."


But now, the first-grader has plenty of favorite words, like "this," "many" and "things."


Woods isn't the only one to take large strides in reading at Atsa' Biya'a'zh Community School in Shiprock. At the beginning of the year, 65 percent of kindergartners were considered "at-risk" of not being able to read at grade level, based on entry tests, and the rest were at "some risk."


None were considered on track.


But just a few months later, those numbers nearly reversed: 90 percent of the kids tested at grade level in January.


"I'm proud. They're surprised they can read," first-grade teacher Sarah Noon said. "They started with simple sentences like, He went,' and now this is what they're reading," she said, referring to a full page of large-print words.


The turnaround, officials said, is a new program called Reading First.


Designed at the Florida Center for Reading Research, the program uses the innovative


Voyager Universal Literacy System to tailor teaching kids' needs and teach for long blocks of time, up to two and a half hours a day.


A $250,000 competitive federal grant paid for the kindergarten through third grade program for three years.


"We're very cautiously optimistic that we'll continue to see positive results," said Kami Glenn, the Reading First coordinator at the school.


For Noon, the Voyager program required a shift in her teaching style.


"It's hard to get used to it. There's a script you have to follow. You have to do it at a fast pace, and then go back," she said.


But after seeing how the kids responded, she said, she's a convert.


"It's kind of grown on me. I like it now."


First-graders also made progress, going from 14 percent at-risk, 59 percent at some risk and 28 percent on track to none at-risk, 17 percent at some risk and 83 percent on track.


Reading, Glenn said, is an essential skill and one that teachers have only a few years to instill.


"You start with literacy, and the rest falls into place," she said. But "if they're not reading by third grade, there's a high risk they'll fall behind in every subject. You really have four short years to really get literacy skills.


And American Indian kids have the highest hurdle to jump.


"There's a huge achievement gap we're trying to close," she said.


A Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded contract school, Atsa' Biya'a'zh is part of the Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. About 286 attend the kindergarten through eighth-grade school.


And now, ask a roomful of first-graders about their favorite book and little hands pop up all over the room.


"Moving Day!" 7-year-old Verdell Ben said. "It's about Hermit the crab."


"Stormy the Baby Dolphin!" Cheyenne Hunt, 7, said. "Dolphins are the best for me!"
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Apparantly, TommyGirl kinda rocks. Hope this doesn't go to her head.
 
Congratulations, Rockin' TommyGirl.

And, Crow? Don't worry about it going to her head. Around here, we'll still just tell her that her uterus prevents her from ever knowing as much about football as we do. ;)
 
I'm confused. What is it Teeg did? :confused:

I mean this seems like what they call in the NBA a "make up call"... :p
 
CrossBones said:
I'm confused. What is it Teeg did? :confused:

I mean this seems like what they call in the NBA a "make up call"... :p
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Hahaha! You be nice.

Thanks, guys. The teachers all hate me (including Sarah Noon) because I'm on their cases all the time, but we're seeing some great results so far. Keep your fingers crossed for our kids. For a lot of Navajo kids, learning to read is the only chance they have to make choices in the future. Hopefully, this will help.
 
Congrats TG...

Who'll play you when they turn this into a movie?...
 
The chick from The Sarah Silverman Program, I think. I can't put my finger on it, but they just really remind me of each other. ;)
 
I'm curious--this program has been in use for several years in California. Is it new to your school?
 
Well done my friend! You seem to have been the impetus behind substantial positive change in the lives of people around you. Congratualations.

P.S. Did you really use the word really twice in one short sentence. REEEALLY NOW!
 
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raider60 said:
I'm curious--this program has been in use for several years in California. Is it new to your school?
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Voyager is new to our school, yes, as is the Reading First project. We use Voyager ULS as the core reading program and Voyager Passport for our intervention. The most at-risk kids are in a triple dose in the after-school reading program.

Our school is the only school in the Bureau of Indian Education that uses Voyager as the core reading program, so we're a pilot and the foundation for a DOE research study of this curriculum on Native American students. So far, it's going pretty well. The "Daily Times" article was obviously for the lay reader, so it didn't delve into any of the research or implications.

Ghost to the Post: I don't think I said "really" twice in my quote, but who knows? I had Jada and Ryan trying to climb onto my lap when they came to do the interview. You always WANT to sound halfway intelligent, but the best laid plans... :o
 
TG your posts are always well written and intelligent. Now get active on the football boards!!
 
Ua ho'ohalahala 'ia mai nei au na ke kuene, a hilahila ihola au. :o
 
Who know TG was 6yrs old?


Really!!!



Congrats... good for you and the rest of our youth!
 
TommyGirl said:
Don't hate me because I punctuate beautifully.
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Maybe so... but your conjunctions are starting to show their age...

Conjunction Junction, what's your function?...
Hooking up two cars and making them run right...
Milk and honey, dun dun da, peas and rice...
 
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