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Parent Tips

GCPS District Literacy Plan
 

What Parents Need to Know
In pursuit of equitable outcomes for all students, the Language Arts office is committed to expanding opportunities for each and every student to engage in and access high-quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum, focusing on early literacy and the science of reading.

What is a high-quality curriculum?
High-quality curriculum materials are aligned with high standards, are academically rigorous and knowledge rich, and support research-based, effective pedagogy. Research demonstrates the powerful and positive impact of high-quality curriculum on academic learning and improving equity across school systems.  Click HERE to learn more about the impact of high quality materials on teaching and learning. GCPS is piloting high-quality instructional materials in 54 elementary schools during the 2022-2023 school year with plans for a full adoption for all 81 elementary schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

What is the Science of Reading?
The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages. The science of reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.

Unlike a baby learning a language, learning to read is actually not a natural process. The brain evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to allow us to learn language from infancy, but reading is a much newer process in terms of human development, developing only about 5,500 years ago. As a result, learning to read requires significant conscious effort for most people. This effort can be harnessed most effectively when applied in a step-by-step process that relies on techniques based in the science of reading. The “science of reading” refers to two related concepts: the study of how the brain learns to read, and the methods for teaching reading that high-quality scientific studies have shown to be effective. When it comes to ensuring children develop the skills needed to comprehend and enjoy texts, parents can benefit from understanding the science behind learning to read. Click HERE to learn more about the science of reading.

What will reading instruction look like for my child?
The goal of reading instruction in GCPS is to develop skilled readers who have the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to become competent and enthusiastic readers. Reading instruction will target language comprehension (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge) and word recognition (phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition) using a variety of instructional settings (whole group, small group, partnerships, and individual work). For the duration of the literacy block, students will engage with high-quality, rigorous, and culturally-responsive grade-level reading material.

How will my child’s reading progress be measured and communicated?
GCPS is moving away from a leveled approach to reading instruction. Your child’s reading progress will no longer be communicated with a Fountas and Pinnel reading level. Instead, all students in GCPS will take a universal screener to assess math and literacy skills. The universal screener will help identify students in need of enrichment/acceleration or who are at risk for poor learning and behavior outcomes. The data collected from the screener will inform teaching and will be used to communicate progress with parents. The screener is given 2 times per year (winter/spring) in kindergarten and 3 times per year (fall, winter, spring) in grades 1-5. Beginning in the fall of 2022, all kindergarten students will be screened for dyslexia. In addition to universal screener data, teachers will collect a multitude of formative and summative assessments across the school year that will help measure growth, determine next steps, and communicate progress to parents.

How can I support my child at home?
Time spent on fostering speaking and listening skills is particularly important for reading comprehension. Oral language skills lay the foundation for future success in reading and writing. Here are a few simple ways you can support your child at home.

  • Talk with your child. It sounds simple, but talking matters—even before your children can talk back. Before kids can learn phonics, they need phonological awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken words. You can support this at home through talking with your children from infancy, singing nursery rhymes, and playing with rhyming words.

  • Read at home. Reading to and with your child at home is an excellent way to support reading development. If your child brings home books from school, let them read aloud to you. Don’t worry that the book is too easy—the goal is for their reading to sound like talking. You should also, of course, read books of their (and your!) choosing, to develop their knowledge of the world and engage them in rich literature.

  • Communicate with your child’s teacher. Be sure to communicate any concerns you have to your child’s teacher. If your child finds reading difficult or it just feels harder than it should, reach out to your child’s teacher.