Holy Trinity Catholic School Division honoured students who completed the literacy intervention program this year by throwing year-end parties to celebrate how youths were “wild about reading.”
Mark Selinger, supervisor of learning and technology, provided a reading celebration report during the recent board meeting highlighting nearly 30 elementary students in the literacy intervention program (LIP) who increased their reading levels — collectively, they grew 71 levels — during the 2022-23 school year.
Normally the division would bring in students to speak to the board about their growth, but the literacy team — led by learning facilitator Stacey Moser — valued celebrating all the students who participated, so they went to each school to party with those pupils, Selinger said.
Furthermore, the team took pictures of the participating students and asked parents for feedback about their growth.
This year’s party theme focused on safaris and zoo animals, thus the “wild about reading” tagline.
“We do take pride in being literacy strong in Holy Trinity,” Selinger said. “Our goal this year was to intensify all levels of our multi-tiered support system to ensure success for all readers.”
Holy Trinity used SMART goals for years, but this year, it shifted to PEERS goals to support students at tier 1 in their reading abilities, he continued.
PEERS stands for powerful, easy, emotionally compelling, reachable and student-focused. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.
Students in tier 1 need just a little help with their reading, while youths in tier 2 require more help and those in tier 3 need the most help.
The division used in-school reading coaches to support pupils at tier 2, while the coaches also helped teachers and families when required, said Selinger. The coaches created more skilled and confident readers, while they were essential in providing in-school support and leadership.
Lastly, Holy Trinity used its reading interventionist “as the last line of defence” to support pupils in tier 3. This woman travelled to schools to perform diagnostic assessments and delivered targeted, intensive interventions.
The division will receive its official reading results over the summer, but based on preliminary data, it knows that its Grade 3 students met their reading goals this year, which is exciting, Selinger said.
Selinger then showed trustees a webpage that featured stories of seven children — some wearing baby lion ears — from this year’s program and videos of each student reading to Moser. The students’ parents also provided comments on their child’s literacy growth.
One Grade 3 student grew 13 reading levels this year, which his parents said was noticeable since reading became easier for him, and he became more fluent and confident in his abilities.
“He really enjoys reading now and despised it last year. What surprised (us) the most was how fast he learned to read,” the parents said.
Another student grew seven reading levels, which thrilled her parents since she was now excited to read and more confident. The pupil was more apt to finish the book by herself instead of asking for help. The mother credited her daughter’s teachers and the reading support staff for her child’s success.
“I, myself, was also in a program like that in school and I know it really helped with my confidence in learning,” the mother said. “Me and my husband are so grateful that this program exists for both of our children because their confidence in reading skyrocketed after being in the program.”
After the presentation, board chairwoman Joann Blazieko said it was amazing to listen to the kids reading in the presentation’s videos.
