Gates Chili Central School District

Elementary teachers and administrators at Gates Chili are looking to science to help them grow literacy efforts in the classroom.

For several months, all elementary instructional staff have been rotating through a professional learning course called the LETRS, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, Suite. The professional learning course is rooted in the science of reading.

“Literacy plays a role in so many different aspects of life. Reading sets the foundation for students’ academic success in every other area,” said K-5 Literacy Coach Jennifer Christensen, who leads the district’s implementation of literacy practices.

Christensen’s role as a coach and LETRS facilitator is to help strengthen literacy practices for all students and ensure consistent literacy instruction across all four elementary schools. That consistency comes with all staff having a common understanding of how oral language and literacy are related.

“Speaking is natural and our brain is wired to speak. Reading is not natural, so teachers have to use instructional routines to support those connections in the brain,” explained Christensen. “They are learning how students learn to read, why they sometimes struggle, and most importantly, how to provide feedback that will support learning.”

Once teachers are equipped with that comprehensive and consistent literacy training, Christensen supports them in implementing instructional practices in the classroom and offering additional opportunities to extend their learning. Armstrong Literacy Intervention Teacher Marlene Ludlow and Brasser first-grade teacher Kelli Ryu both shared that they feel empowered and better equipped to support the varying abilities of students in their classroom.

“Whether you are a grade-level teacher, intervention teacher, ESOL teacher or another service provider, you are going to work with some students that struggle with reading,” Ludlow said. “If more people understand how to help these students, the better chance we have at helping students fill in the gaps and progress as they should.”

“It’s important for teachers to have this training so we can become more knowledgeable on foundational literacy development,” Ryu said.

As the district continues to implement and develop best practices, an important component will be providing families with the knowledge and tools to support their learners at home.

Christensen explained, “it's just as important for caregivers to understand how reading, writing and spelling develop and how to best support their student at home.”

For now, she said, that involves reading to their student, talking to them about the books they're reading and/or working with them on words and sounds.

Read more about the science of reading and try some of the activities below.