Teachers, like their students, are always learning. This year, the learning continues as we look more closely at our Early Literacy Program. Kindergarten and first grade teachers and assistants as well as our Learning Support Teacher have been evaluating and enhancing the teaching of reading, phonics, phonemic awareness and writing skills.
To help them in this study, the school has enlisted the expertise of Hannah Thein. Hannah comes to us from the Harwood and Windsor Central School Districts in Vermont. Her latest work has been as an interventionist in Warren. She was also the WCSU ES Curriculum Director and principal of Barnard Academy (a Core Knowledge school!), Hannah has extensive classroom and intervention experience in US and international schools and has coached teachers in early literacy, differentiation and assessment.
Teachers are working with Hannah on a book study of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates. Additionally, as part of the evaluation of early literacy, teachers have assessed where students currently stand and have implemented resources from Fundations from Wilson’s Language Training and Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum. Beyond this, teachers will travel to Warren, VT early in November to observe classes at the elementary school and discuss best practices.
We look forward to learning from Hannah, and expanding our knowledge and literacy techniques for all of our Crossroads students.
