Remedial Reading Services at Brewster School

STARS
The STARS early literacy program is for all children in kindergarten. Each week a team of teachers comes into each kindergarten classroom. Small groups of children rotate through centers hosted by these teachers. Each child is involved in four or five different lessons. The centers focus on different aspects of reading readiness including letter identification and formation, sound-symbol relationships, phonemic/phonological awareness, comprehension skills, and book knowledge. The speech pathologist focuses on phonological awareness skills. The resource room teacher focuses on letter formation and sound symbol relationships, the classroom teacher teaches reading comprehension skills, the reading teacher uses small books to teach beginning reading concepts.

Kindergarten Small Group Support
This program is for some students in kindergarten who may benefit from extra support with beginning reading skills. Letters, sounds, concepts about print and phonological awareness activities are presented to small groups of children. The DIBELS and informal assessment completed by the classroom teachers are used to identify students requiring extra support.

Reading Recovery and TLC

Reading Recovery and Teaching for Literacy Competenc are intensive programs, which provide daily, individualized lessons for children at risk for reading difficulties. Children are taught to use strategies of meaning, phonics and grammar. Writing is an integral part of the lesson in both programs. Children bring home a book to read and an activity, which reinforces the daily writing lesson each night. Parent involvement is an important part of both TLC and Reading Recovery.

Small Group Assistance

For children in first and second grade who would benefit from extra support in reading, the opportunity to work in a small group is provided within the classroom or in the reading room. Children meet several times a week for extra practice with reading strategies, phonic skills, and comprehension.

Reading Counts

All students are encouraged to take part in the Reading Counts Program in the library. After the children read a book at home they take a quiz on the computer. The children earn points for reading and prizes are awarded. Parent volunteers help make this library reading program work.

Book Nook
Brewster School has a book closet with sets of trade books for use in the classrooms. The books are leveled for use in guided reading, partner reading and for individual students. The inventory currently has over 1,000 titles.