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Elementary leaders say science‑of‑reading work lifted K–5 outcomes
Summary
District instructional leaders reported two years of training and curriculum alignment on the science of reading; kindergarten letter‑sound scores rose from 33% to 79% and teachers adopted fluency strategies districtwide.
Elementary instructional leaders presented progress on a multi‑year science‑of‑reading initiative, describing professional development, classroom practices and early outcomes.
Ms. LaRosa introduced the instructional leaders and their role in a BOCES symposium and local professional development. Sarah O'Brien explained: "The science of reading is not a curriculum per se. Rather it's a large body of research drawing from cognitive science, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and education." She walked the board through the six pillars—oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension—and described classroom strategies such as poetry, repeated reading, dyad reading and reader's theater.
Instructional leaders said teachers increased benchmarking and progress monitoring. One presenter reported that kindergarten letter‑sound mastery rose from 33% at the start of the year to 79% at the end: "They were at 33 percent. They left kindergarten at 79 percent." The team said that 100% of surveyed teachers introduced poetry and repeated reading; 80% introduced dyad reading and 40% used reader's theater. Leaders said next year they will pilot a new elementary series (magnetic literacy) and continue targeted professional development.
