Reading

Chipeta students have a wide range of reading abilities; the strength of our program is meeting individual student needs utilizing a variety of methods and materials.  To help children develop strong reading skills, a partnership exists between staff, parents, and students. This approach enriches our advanced children and supports students who face reading challenges.   

Instruction supports balanced literacy, which includes shared reading, guided reading, and independent practice.  Scholastic Literacy Place is our basal reading program and was chosen for its integrated curriculum, authentic literature, and because it encompasses the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Ongoing literacy assessment results determine the composition of flexible groups.  The size of our leveled book collection offers extensive choices for readers.  Students’ reading comprehension is strengthened through differentiated instruction and activities. For example, story webbing is used to teach thematic elements through Inspiration in the school’s computer lab.

Chipeta readers receive individualized support through technology, including Read Naturally, Success Maker, and Study Island.  For the students whose needs are outside the norm, the Response to Intervention process is in place.  Teachers and tutors have been trained in Orton Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell, and Linguistic Remedies. These strategies are used to provide multi-sensory instruction for challenged readers.  Chipeta supports a strong gifted and talented program which includes materials from the College of William and Mary, complex novels, and Junior Great Books.  Instruction for these students is centered around higher level thinking skills and Habits of Mind (Costa and Kallick, 2009). 

Independent reading success is crucial for the development of motivated, passionate, life-long readers.  To foster motivation, Chipeta provides many opportunities for free choice of reading materials; students pursue personal interests by selecting literature from over 11,000 books housed in the school media center.  They may choose from classic and modern literature, an extensive non-fiction collection, and current periodicals.  Librarian-led book presentations and classroom book discussions feed the desire to read at school and at home.