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Elementary reading team recommends 95% products for phonics, early readers and tier‑3 interventions
Summary
Elementary reading specialists recommended district purchases of 95 Percent Group materials (short‑vowel program, leveled chapter‑style readers and pocket phonological‑awareness materials) to address early‑literacy gaps; staff said funds are available in the 2024–25 curricular budget for the purchase and included professional development.
Elementary reading specialists and MTSS staff presented to the EPR Committee on June 5 and recommended adoption of several 95 Percent Group resources to strengthen phonics, early reading and tier‑3 interventions.
Presenters said short‑vowel instructional materials are scripted, sequential phonics lessons that the team has used successfully in pilot pockets and that a district‑wide package would include digital presentations, student booklets and teacher materials. Staff recommended a set of leveled, chapter‑style readers aimed at upper‑elementary students who need decoding support but resist early‑level “baby” readers; the team said those books would better match fourth‑ and fifth‑grade students’ preferences and avoid stigma.
A third recommended item was a “Pocket PA” (phonological‑awareness) intervention and paraprofessional materials designed for small groups (six or fewer). Presenters said Pocket PA would focus on one or two phonological skills per session and complement Heggerty and the district’s new core reading adoption; they emphasized the need for tier‑3 materials that do not merely duplicate classroom lessons.
Staff said funding for recommended purchases is available in the 2024–25 curricular budget; they also said 95 Percent Group would provide professional development and refresher training included in the purchase order to support current and new staff.
Ending: The committee moved the recommended elementary reading purchases forward as part of grouped agenda items and staff said they would schedule vendor PD and start distribution of materials once procurement is complete.
