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Reading

What is Walk to Read (WTR)?

WTR is the name for a district-wide reading intervention program. For 30 minutes a day (M-Th), all students in each grade level are provided targeted reading phonics instruction customized for their needed skills. Students receive instruction on needed phonics skills or enrichment instruction in 3-week cycles. Teachers analyze data at the end of each cycle to determine student needs and group placement.

What is Acadience? The Acadience letter you receive at the beginning, middle and end of the year provides you with information regarding your student's proficiency in reading as measured by the Acadience screener (an indication of their trajectory for current/future success in reading).

How are skill deficits identified? A diagnostic tool is administered on a regular basis to determine which of the 15 targeted phonics skills they haven't yet demonstrated proficiency. The natural progression of the "on-level" target moves between the following groupings: skills #1-5 in 1st grade, skills #6-9 in 2nd grade, and skills #10-15 in 3rd grade. Students in 4th-6th grades whose assessment data indicates they would benefit from the phonetic skills lessons will also receive small group instruction with their peers to help fill any skill gaps in understanding.

How are skill deficits addressed? During the same window of time, students who are reading at/above level receive additional instruction grade level standards.

How can parents know what skill their child is working on? 1st-6th students in skill groups #1-15 will be provided with regular updates (about every three weeks) from the school regarding their current skill level in the program. A notification will be sent home with the skill # that directs them to a skills/strategies section on the our website which provides ways parents can help with those particular skills at home.  Kindergarten parents may refer to a suggestion document that is broken down by quarters. Kindergarten students work on earlier phonemic awareness skills that help get the students ready for the phonics lessons. To find out how you can better support your reader at home, visit: