Welcome to TItle 1
......where reading and math support is available
by Karen Alexander
March 14, 2008
Karen Alexander
Title 1 and Reading Recovery teacher
Time available: before and after school and 10:30-11:30
Email: kalexander@usd218.org
Phone: (620) 697-2133—School
(620) 697-4511—Home
I am Karen Alexander, a lifelong resident of Elkhart. Except for college and 3 years teaching in Texas, I have called Elkhart my home. After taking last year off, I am excited to be back teaching and feel blessed to be a part of the USD #218 staff. I find the community and staff to be very supportive and forward-looking, striving to build upon a very solid educational base.
I was a second grade teach for 18 years and have spent the last 7 years as a reading teacher. I am a trained, Reading Recovery teacher and work within the Title 1 program. Most of my time is spent with the primary students, but I also work with 4th-6th graders.
Even after 28 years in education, I still find it very rewarding and challenging. My philosophy is quite simple. One of my first college professors used this quote: “To teach you, I must reach you.” I find that to be very true. First, I strive to establish a warm, caring, accepting relationship with each of my students. Then, I believe I can begin to teach them. I continue to take classes, attend workshops and learn from my peers in an attempt to stay fresh and current in my teaching skills and strategies.
Schedule for Karen Alexander
2007-2008
8:05-8:35—Reading Recovery #1
8:40-9:10—Reading Rotation #1 (1st/2nd grade)
9:13-9:43—Reading Rotation #2 (1st/2nd grade)
9:46-10:16—Reading Recovery #2
10:16-11:31—Lunch/Planning
11:31-12:06—Reading Rotation #3 (3rd/4th grade)
12:06-12:15—Driving time to MS
12:20-1:05—6th grade Title
1:10-1:50—5th grade Title
1:50-2:00—Driving time to GS
2:00-2:30—4th grade Title
2:30-3:10—Planning/Meetings
Title 1 Program Overview
Title 1 is a federally funded program targeted to assist students in achieving higher academic standards. In 2001, Congress reauthorized Title 1 through the No Child Left Behind legislation.
Highly Qualified Title 1 staff members provide support to students in reading and math. Eligibility for service is based upon assessments. Title 1 staff uses the STAR test in reading and MAPS tests results in reading and math. Based upon scores on those assessments, and teachers recommendations, Title 1 staff and classroom teachers prioritize the students by need. Children with the highest need receive support.
Title 1 is a supplemental program. It is not meant to take the place of classroom instruction. The Title 1 service most frequently occurs as a pull-out with children in small groups.
Reading Recovery
Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention used at Elkhart Grade School. It is one-to-one tutoring for first graders who need help catching on to the complex set of concepts that make reading and writing possible.
The goal of Reading Recovery is to dramatically reduce the number of first-grade students who are having difficulty learning to read and write. This intervention is most effective when it is available to all students who need it and is used as a supplement to good classroom teaching.
Individual students receive a half-hour lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher. As soon as students can meet grade-level expectations and demonstrate they can continue to work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.Elkhart is fortunate to have 5 trained Reading Recovery teachers.
Academy of Reading
Academy of Reading is a Title 1 intervention. This computer program is an individualized literacy intervention program designed to help struggling students realize fast, permanent gains in core reading skills. The Academy of Reading is designed to complement our existing reading curriculum.
The program breaks the complex skill of reading into manageable tasks, which students learn progressively in a logical sequence. Students are successful because they are allowed as much practice as they need to master each skill and are able to progress at their own pace.
The premise of Academy of Reading training is to teach the sounds, and patterns of sounds and letters found in our language so that a students learn to “break the code” of the written word. Word attack skills begin to improve. Words move from being nonsense words to real words with meaning. Since students have learned each skill to the point that it is automatic, they no longer need to consciously think about performing theses skills. Conscious effort (mental energy) can now be applied to comprehension strategies as well as other thinking skills.
Academy of Math
Academy of Math is a Title 1 intervention. It is a research-based math intervention software program that offers measurable gains in student achievement in mathematics. The program is aimed at all students who have tested below grade levels on standardized state and national mathematics tests.
The academy of Math is designed so that each level of difficulty relates to the fundamental skills required to meet proficiency according to the standards proposed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Subject areas are progressively more difficult as the student moves to the higher levels. The Academy of Math guides students through a logical progression of skills, ensuring the achievement of mathematical proficiency at each level before promoting the student on to the next.
The program is designed to be an extension, not a replacement of a regular math curriculum.
Title 1 Websites
Okaloosa Walton College
On the Interactive Literacy Activities section of the Website, visitors can find literacy building projects, booklists for children, and other suggestions for academic and social skills development sorted by grade level. There is even a section devoted to middle and high school students! One of the many useful ideas on this site is "Books-in-a-Bag" activity contains a recommended children's book and a suggested book-related, hands-on project that adults can do with children. To access "Books-in-a-Bag," click on "Literacy Building Activities - Infants and Toddlers." (Note: Although "Books-in-a-Bag" activities are listed under "Infants and Toddlers," there are activities for grades Pre-K-2, 1-3, and "all ages.") Many of the activities on this site are in PDF format. Visitors will need Adobe Reader (which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe Website at www.adobe.com) to view them.
Reading is Fundamental (RIF)
On this page of the RIF Website, visitors can conduct a search to find literacy-related activities. Individuals can search for activities based on the skill they want to help children reinforce--vocabulary, the alphabet, and writing, to name a few--and the age of the children, ranging from 0-4 years through 13 years-old and older.
Utah State University National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics
This interactive Website contains many online activities that can help Pre-K to grade 12 students reinforce many of the math skills they are learning and being tested on in school. Activities include: developing spatial awareness using online tangrams; gaining practice in problem-solving; sorting attribute blocks; measuring; reinforcing place value using the site's online base-ten blocks; and much more. Visitors should click "search" (withouttyping anything in the search box) to get a listing of all the math skills practice this Website offers.
British Broadcasting Company
The Parents Section of the BBC Website contains many online literacy (English), mathematics, science, history, and geography games, activities, and worksheets. Visitors can easily search for topics, the type of activity needed with their chosen topic, and age range of the student who will be participating in the activity. (Note: With regard to spelling games on this site, adults and students should keep in mind that British spelling sometimes differs from American spelling, for example, color vs. colour.)
Please Note: It is recommended that before adults visit any Website with students that they independently examine the site for content. In rare cases, domain names are sold (without notice) to questionable enterprises.
Title 1
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Title 1 Provide Services?
How do students qualify for Title 1 services?
Students are screened through teacher referrals and assessments. Title 1 staff will then prioritize students to determine which students are eligible. Parent permission is required for a child to enter the program.
How will Title 1 services be provided?
Title 1 services consist of pullout in small groups. Occasionally, the teacher might give an individual lesson or provide support in the regular classroom.
What are the goals of Title 1 students?
The goal for all Title 1 students is to help the student improve classroom performance. Each student works on an individual plan in the Academy of Reading and Math.
What will my child miss in the regular classroom when s/he’s pulled out?
The Title 1 staff work closely with the regular classroom teacher to build a schedule so the student does not miss important class time. When special activities are planned during the regular Title 1 time, the child is allowed to participate, too.
How do students exit from the program and how often are they tested?
Students are prioritized according to need. Usually they exit after demonstrating adequate improvement on assessments. On occasion a student could exit because of other students with greater needs. All students are tested at the beginning and end of the school year, and at mid-year if necessary.
