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Grafenwoehr Elementary has many reading initiatives. In keeping with the Goals of DoDEA  Grafenwoehr has initiated. 

• Read 180

• Reading Counts

• I Read to the Principal

• I Read to Students

• Reading Recovery

• DRA

• Guided Reading

• Drop Everything And Read Silently (DEARS)

• Literacy Coaches

• Parent Involvement

 Read 180 is designed for students in grades 4 - 12 who will benefit from personalized intensive reading instruction. The three components of the program include independent reading, computerized strategies development and small group reading with guided skill development. Grafenwoehr Elementary School is piloting the program in grades 4 –6 as part of the Bavaria District's focus on student achievement.  

Interview with Mary Zimmerman-Bayer:

"What we have observed since we have started the program at this school is that the students love it, they’re already making progress, the teachers are seeing almost daily progress, parents are happy to have their kids in the program, and we have a waiting list of other students that we want to join the program, so it’s off to a great start."

End of Interview

Reading Counts is a supplemental reading program initiative that supports the Community Strategic Plan with a focus on student achievement and school-home partnerships. Students read and provided electronic feedback about materials they have read. Reports from this program provide Lexile levels, in addition to recommendations for next steps in reading. As a supplement to the language arts/reading curriculum, DSO, community, PTA, and student initiatives have funded this program. 

I Read to Students recognizes student accomplishments in reading. Student volunteers from grades 5-6 are invited to schedule read-aloud and reading strategies sessions with teachers in kindergarten through second grade.  

I Read to the Principal is a program that recognizes student accomplishments in reading. Students in K-4 are invited to sign up for an appointment to read to the principal. 

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program for young readers who are experiencing difficulty in their first year of reading instruction. The Reading Recovery program is designed to serve the lowest achieving readers in first grade. Children receive individual daily lessons from a specially trained teacher for 16-20 weeks. Upon competition of this short-term program, children are returned to their regular classroom reading and writing instruction. 

Interview with Nancy Young:

Reading Recovery is an individualized program, early intervention. It's supplemental. We work with the classroom teacher. The children are taken out of the classroom for 30 minutes everyday for anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks. We have seen tremendous progress in the reading  and writing skills of these children.

End of Interview

DEARS (Drop Everything and Read) is a silent reading program that has the whole class (usually the whole school) drop everything and read. Students read a book of their choice. This helps build the habit of reading for pleasure and encourages student to be life long  readers. 

Literacy Coaches is a program that gives teachers a reading coach to help them improve instruction. All great athletes have a coach. We believe that great reading teachers should also have someone who will coach them to perform even better. Reading is an important life long skill. 

Guided Reading is a strategy of delivering reading instruction to small groups of children. Guided reading enables teachers to group children with similar needs so that the task is neither too difficult nor too easy for anyone. Guided reading is a way to help children understand how reading works and learn techniques to figure out words and comprehend text.

The Developmental Reading Assessment is a standardized method for assessing a students reading development. It documents student progress over time. The D.R.A. gives teachers immediate feedback for prescribing adjustments for improving instruction..

One of the most critical components in our program at Grafenwöhr Elementary School is Reading Starts with Us. Our goal is to encourage students to interact daily with written text. Parents and children read together on a daily basis. Parents serve as guest readers in classrooms to model the value of reading entertainment. Parents also initiate daily reading rituals in their home. .Parents are the most significant contributors to reinforce reading skills development.

Interview with Donna Price:

I'm excited about this program because it really helps you get involved with your children. You get to work more closely with them in reading and you help to build relationships with the teachers because you both are working one on one with your children and helping them explore the world of reading.

End of Interview

The Bavaria District realizes that reading is the cornerstone to learning. It continues to make reading the main thing by continually training teachers in the latest methods and using testing to evaluate our current programs.