School Reading Plan

Describe how reading assessment and instruction for all PreK-5^th grade students in the school includes oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to aid in the comprehension of texts to meet grade‑level English/Language Arts standards.

Reading is not a natural part of human development; it is a skill that must be explicitly taught through structured and intentional instruction. While some students learn to read easily, others find the process difficult, highlighting the need for explicit, systematic teaching. Our instructional framework for language arts focuses on providing structured, developmentally aligned lessons that build and cultivate essential literacy skills, such as oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Through ongoing assessments and targeted instruction, teachers can differentiate and provide students with the skills to understand and engage with various grade-level texts. This comprehensive approach supports the diverse learning needs of our students while fostering their developmental progress toward becoming proficient readers.

The foundation of our school reading plan rests firmly on current scientific evidence of reading instructions and learning. and shapes how high quality foundational literacy instruction supports students in achieving grade-level reading proficiency. Assessments measure student progress, identify gaps or deficits, and determine the next steps. All students receive Tier 1 reading instruction using Dorchester District Two’s state-approved reading curriculum, HMH Into Reading. This program uses a comprehensive, systemic approach to reading instruction. It incorporates effective instructional routines based on the five pillars of reading instruction: phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It also includes classroom assessment tools to track student progress throughout the program and guide reading instruction.

A critical component underpinning the five pillars of reading instruction is oral language. Crucial for effective communication, oral language lays the groundwork for later reading comprehension and literacy development. It aligns with the principles of the science of reading, which supports the development of phonological awareness, vital for learning how to read and write. It fosters critical thinking and improves communication skills. The HMH Into Reading curriculum includes collaborative activities designed to support students in developing language, vocabulary, and expressive skills necessary for understanding texts. Teachers nurture this skill daily by engaging students in discussions about grade-level texts to enhance their comprehension and classroom interactions. Teachers use connected texts from various genres to increase student knowledge on various topics and expand their vocabulary. Using the HMH Into Reading curriculum, teachers enhance students' oral language proficiency through thoughtful questioning, promoting complete sentence responses, and facilitating peer interactions. A solid oral language foundation supports reading comprehension and writing skills, as it helps students understand the structure of spoken and written language. The first pillar of reading instruction building on oral language is the essential foundational skill, phonological (PA). It is the catalyst that begins to transform young learners into readers. To ensure all students have opportunities to develop an awareness of spoken language and the sounds in words, teachers explicitly teach phonological awareness and then focus on phonemic awareness using a curriculum called Heggerty. Using this curriculum ensures all 4K through second-grade students receive instruction that is cumulative, systematic, and explicit. The Heggerty program provides structured auditory lessons, so teachers have the tools to help students recognize rhyming words, sounds, syllables, and phonemes, laying the groundwork for proficient phonics skills. This involves teaching students to recognize and manipulate the sounds within words by isolating, segmenting, and blending them. The tasks become more complex as students' understanding of language increases. Within Tier 1 instruction, teachers conduct quick assessments like sound matching, syllable counting, and phoneme isolation to track progress. Additional assessment through sound blending, segmenting, and rhyming games helps identify students needing additional support. Phonics builds upon and connects with phonological awareness to ensure a solid foundation in early literacy skills. Our reading plan includes the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) Foundations curriculum for all kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students in Tier 1. UFLI Foundations is an explicit and systematic program that teaches students alphabetical knowledge and the foundational skills necessary for proficient decoding (mapping letter-sound associations) and encoding (mapping sound-letter/word associations). It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill and learn to apply skills by reading text automatically and confidently. With the UFLI curriculum, teachers lead students through skill-focused phonics activities designed to build upon each other in a structured format. Teachers incorporate sound walls in their classrooms, conduct word-building activities, provide practice with decodable texts, and use multisensory methods for instruction. Teachers regularly measure student understanding by dictating sounds, words, phrases, and sentences with current and previously learned skills, and students encode what the teacher dictates. The UFLI Foundations assessments help teachers determine whether students have learned the skills to encode spoken language and decode written text or whether additional small-group phonics support is needed.

Fluency stands as the third pillar of reading instruction. Teachers across all grade levels model fluent reading for their students. Students have opportunities to practice reading grade-level texts in pairs, groups, or independently. Fluency instruction and practice increase students’ abilities to read words accurately, with appropriate speed, expression, and understanding, which are crucial for comprehension. Teachers are encouraged to help students set personal fluency goals. Our HMH curriculum offers grade-level appropriate fluency passages for student practice. Teachers monitor student progress and provide timely feedback to support the development of this essential skill, which is responsible for exposing and increasing students’ vocabulary knowledge over the years.

Vocabulary development is seamlessly woven into all components of our reading instruction, as it is fundamental for comprehension. HMH Into Reading emphasizes explicit vocabulary instruction and word-learning strategies, which assist students in acquiring new words through direct teaching and context clues. Instructional activities such as semantic mapping and vocabulary journals enrich students’ understanding of words and word parts. Teachers gauge students' vocabulary knowledge through quizzes, discussions, and their usage in writing and speaking.

Understanding word parts also enhances comprehension. To help students understand new words they encounter in texts, an emphasis on morphology, the origin of words, and their meanings is a focus. As students broaden their vocabulary, they become better equipped to comprehend and engage with complex texts. Understanding written text is the goal of reading, so comprehension is taught explicitly at all grade levels. HMH Into Reading uses graphic organizers, comprehension strategies, and text structures throughout the curriculum. Teachers explicitly model how to summarize, make predictions, ask questions, and infer meaning while reading text. They guide students in using these strategies before, during, and after reading to enhance student understanding of texts. Students have opportunities in small group reading sessions to practice comprehension strategies in context and respond to what they read either orally, in written form, or both. Teachers scaffold instruction as needed to ensure all students can access grade-level materials and progress toward meeting the state’s ELA standards. Comprehension is measured through written responses, discussions, and quizzes. Teachers provide corrective feedback and additional support as needed.

Our school-wide reading plan integrates the HMH Into Reading, UFLI Foundations, and Heggerty curriculum to provide a solid Tier 1 that ensures all students receive comprehensive instruction across the five pillars of reading and oral language. Coupled with using assessments to guide instruction and provide differentiation, the plan supports our goal of supporting every student in reading grade-level proficiency in English/language arts standards.

Document how Word Recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5ᵗʰ grade students are further 
aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy and foundational literacy skills.
 

Word recognition is a critical component of proficient reading, so understanding how the reading brain develops and is “rewired” by instruction that aligns with reading science is important for teachers. Gough & Tunmer (1986) identified word recognition and language comprehension as the two factors required for reading comprehension. Word recognition is reading words fluently and automatically. Developing this skill is a process that takes time, practice, and, most importantly, quality instruction grounded in reading science.

To develop word recognition skills, students must be able to hear and map phonemes to graphemes (letters or letter patterns) to decode or sound out unfamiliar words and encode or spell words. Linking the word's pronunciation (sounds) to the word’s spelling (graphemes) and connecting meaning to the word must work in unison for automatic word reading. Our foundational literacy programs, UFLI and Heggerty, are built on a systematic and explicit instructional foundation to benefit all students, particularly those with learning differences, to provide them with the skills needed for word recognition.

Screening foundational reading skills is a critical first step in identifying students at risk for reading difficulties and who are progressing. Students at risk for reading difficulties are given diagnostic assessments to help teachers identify and target reading skill deficits. Error analysis is critical for developing effective interventions for children. Progress Monitoring occurs with ongoing assessments to track student progress and adjust instruction.

Fluency stands as the third pillar of reading instruction. Teachers across all grade levels model fluent reading for their students. Students have opportunities to practice reading grade-level texts in pairs, groups, or independently. Fluency instruction and practice increase students’ abilities to read words accurately, with appropriate speed, expression, and understanding, which are crucial for comprehension. Teachers are encouraged to help students set personal fluency goals. Our HMH curriculum offers grade-level appropriate fluency passages for student practice. Teachers monitor student progress and provide timely feedback to support the development of this essential skill, which is responsible for exposing and increasing students’ vocabulary knowledge over the years. Vocabulary development is seamlessly woven into all components of our reading instruction, as it is fundamental for comprehension. HMH Into Reading emphasizes explicit vocabulary instruction and word-learning strategies, which assist students in acquiring new words through direct teaching and context clues. Instructional activities such as semantic mapping and vocabulary journals enrich students’ understanding of words and word parts. Teachers gauge students' vocabulary knowledge through quizzes, discussions, and their usage in writing and speaking. Understanding word parts also enhances comprehension. To help students understand new words they encounter in texts, an emphasis on morphology, the origin of words, and their meanings is a focus.

As students broaden their vocabulary, they become better equipped to comprehend and engage with complex texts. Understanding written text is the goal of reading, so comprehension is taught explicitly at all grade levels. HMH Into Reading uses graphic organizers, comprehension strategies, and text structures throughout the curriculum. Teachers explicitly model how to summarize, make predictions, ask questions, and infer meaning while reading text. They guide students in using these strategies before, during, and after reading to enhance student understanding of texts. Students have opportunities in small group reading sessions to practice comprehension strategies in context and respond to what they read either orally, in written form, or both. Teachers scaffold instruction as needed to ensure all students can access grade-level materials and progress toward meeting the state’s ELA standards. Comprehension is measured through written responses, discussions, and quizzes. Teachers provide corrective feedback and additional support as needed. Our school-wide reading plan integrates the HMH Into Reading, UFLI Foundations, and Heggerty curriculum to provide a solid Tier 1 that ensures all students receive comprehensive instruction across the five pillars of reading and oral language. Coupled with using assessments to guide instruction and provide differentiation, the plan supports our goal of supporting every student in reading grade-level proficiency in English/language arts standards. South Carolina Department of Education Read to Succeed Elementary Exemplary Literacy Reflection Tool Updated August 2024 Page 4 Section C: Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5 th grade who have failed to demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency. 

Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine 
targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5ᵗʰ grade who have failed to  demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency.

At Sand Hill, universal screener and diagnostic assessment data are critical tools for identifying students who have not demonstrated grade-level reading proficiency and determining targeted intervention pathways. The structured approach begins with universal screening of all kindergarten and first-grade students using Aimsweb PLUS from Pearson. These assessments measure key literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This initial screening provides a broad measure of students’ foundational literacy skills, identifying those at risk for reading difficulties. The FSS assessment (Foundational Skills Survey) is given at the end of each quarter to provide teachers with additional information about strengths and weaknesses in foundational skills.

Our MTSS team carefully analyzes this data to identify trends and compare individual student performance against grade-level benchmarks. Students scoring below the 30th percentile are considered at risk for reading difficulties. These students are then given diagnostic assessments to provide deeper insights into their specific challenges, allowing educators to determine whether difficulties stem from word recognition or language comprehension.

Additional diagnostic assessments are administered for students identified as not meeting proficiency benchmarks. These include phonological screeners, foundational literacy assessments, and specific diagnostics related to reading skills. These assessments help to pinpoint whether the reading difficulty stems from challenges in word recognition (decoding, phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency) or language comprehension (vocabulary, background knowledge, syntax, etc.). Based on the diagnostic data, students are grouped according to their specific needs.

Once the implementation of interventions begin, students' progress is monitored frequently to assess the intervention effectiveness. Additional data collected from tools such as Aimweb Plus, MAP benchmark assessments, and HMH Into Reading weekly and module assessments are used to track overall growth and ensure students are on the path to word reading proficiency.

In grades 3- 5, students who do not meet reading proficiency on SC Ready and MAP are placed in the Read 180 intervention program for targeted intervention. Read 180 uses the MAP Growth assessment as a universal placement and a progress monitoring assessment to ensure students are appropriately placed within the Read 180 program. MAP Growth is administered three times yearly to identify student reading levels and track reading growth. Students with RIT/Lexile results that indicate they are candidates for foundational literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency) complete a Code Placement Assessment screener. The assessment measures the accuracy and speed of students’ responses to letter recognition, high-frequency word recognition, decoding, and morphology.

Describe the system in place to help parents in your school understand how they can support the 
student as a reader and writer at home.

At Sand Hill, we prioritize developing a strong partnership with parents to support students’ literacy development at home. We offer multiple initiatives that inform and engage parents in helping their children become confident readers and writers.

Teachers primarily use Parent Square and Schoology to communicate and share classroom assignments, supporting students at home. In addition to these platforms, classroom newsletters highlight activities that align with the curriculum, promoting a strong home-school connection and supporting literacy development. To provide parents with clear expectations for their child’s literacy growth, we share a parent-friendly guide to grade-level reading and writing standards through a link to the Department of Education. This resource simplifies what students are expected to learn at each grade level and provides practical strategies for parents to support these skills at home. We make this guide accessible through email, our school website, family events, and parent-teacher conferences, ensuring parents are well-equipped with the tools they need to understand and contribute to their child’s literacy goals. Parent-teacher conferences play a crucial role in keeping parents informed. During these meetings, teachers share personalized literacy progress reports highlighting each student's strengths and areas for improvement and tailored advice on how parents can support literacy development at home. We encourage parents to communicate regularly with teachers through email or phone calls to discuss their child’s progress and receive personalized suggestions for improving reading and writing skills.

We host Sand Hill Family Literacy Nights designed to foster a love of reading and strengthen the home-school connection around literacy. Families participate in fun, literacy-focused activities such as reading games, storytelling, and writing challenges during these events. These nights allow parents and students to explore reading in a relaxed, enjoyable setting, and parents learn creative ways to make reading a more engaging part of their daily routines.

Camp Read-A-Lot is an engaging family event where we transform various areas around the school into engaging and interactive reading spaces, creating a camp-like atmosphere where students and their families can come together to celebrate the joy of reading. Teams of teachers and staff create camping-themed literacy activities, such as reading tents, storytelling circles, and interactive read-alouds, all aimed at making reading fun and engaging for students of all ages. Families can participate in these activities alongside their children, which provides a unique opportunity for parents and caregivers to experience first-hand how reading is taught and encouraged at school. Teachers and staff are on hand to guide families through activities and share practical strategies that can be used at home to support reading development.

Camp Read-A-Lot also involves local community resources. The local library is invited to share its services and assist families in signing up for public library cards. A representative from the local Parent and Family Engagement Center is present to provide information about free resources such as Rosetta Stone, Leap Frog Systems, Study Buddy Handheld Learning Systems, and award-winning board games, further extending the tools available to support literacy development at home. Our reading initiatives don’t stop there. We challenge students to read during the summer and winter breaks through fun reading challenges that track their progress visually, keeping them motivated. To support this effort, we provide access to online reading platforms such as Epic, Sora, and Discus, where students can explore a wide selection of books from home. These platforms are accessible through Clever using student school login information, making it easy for families to continue reading at home.

At Sand Hill, we recognize parents and guardians' key role in their child’s literacy success. Teachers provide regular updates and send home newsletters. We provide informational resources to ensure families have the tools they need to actively support their child’s growth as readers and writers. With initiatives like the Winter Reading Challenge and Camp Read-A-Lot, we work hard to foster a strong home-school partnership that enables students to reach their full literacy potential.

Document how the school provides for the monitoring of reading achievement and growth at the 
classroom and school level with decisions about PreK-5ᵗʰ grade intervention based on all available data to ensure grade-level proficiency in reading.

Sand Hill’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Team uses a systematic, continuous-improvement framework to support student reading achievement and growth. This involves using data-based problem-solving and decision-making using a combination of universal screening, diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring, and ongoing formative assessments.

Our school administers universal screeners to all kindergarten and first-grade students at the beginning of the school year to identify students who may be at risk for specific difficulties. We use the state-approved screener, Aimsweb PLUS from Pearson, to assess students’ early literacy skills in these grades. The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is administered in first through fifth grade. This benchmark assessment assesses students' reading growth three times a year. In the middle of the school year, the assessment is administered to kindergarten through fifth grade, and then the assessment is administered again at the end of the year. This benchmark tool allows the MTSS Team and teachers to track student progress toward meeting grade-level expectations.

For students identified as at risk of reading difficulties based on their screening results, we conduct further diagnostic assessments, such as phonological awareness, phonics, and spelling screeners, to pinpoint specific areas of need. This enables us to set individualized student goals and tailor interventions to their unique learning profiles.

Once a reading deficit is identified, the MTSS Team and the teacher establish targeted student goals and closely monitor student progress. A combination of weekly or biweekly progress monitoring tools, including AIMSWEB progress monitoring measures, are used to track the students' improvement in key areas such as fluency, phonemic awareness, and comprehension. These frequent assessments allow us to adjust interventions in real-time, ensuring that students are on a trajectory toward meeting their individualized reading goals.

Our intervention decisions are based on all available data from screening, diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring, and teacher input. Grade level Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) meet weekly to review data and identify students needing additional support. Teachers collaborate with the MTSS team to discuss progress, analyze strengths and weaknesses, and determine the appropriate interventions. The teacher provides targeted reading interventions in a small group, and in some cases, additional reading intervention support is provided by a reading interventionist. Progress monitoring data is used to adjust the intervention if needed.

In addition to weekly PLC meetings, we hold formal data meetings to analyze school-wide trends in reading achievement and determine if adjustments are needed in our instructional approaches or interventions. We utilize all the available resources and make every effort to solve logistical issues that may create roadblocks.

By implementing a robust system of progress monitoring, data analysis, and targeted intervention, we are committed to ensuring all students at our school are on the path to achieving reading success and reaching grade-level proficiency.

Describe how the school provides teacher training based in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills to support all students in PreK-5ᵗʰ grade.

At Sand Hill, we are committed to enhancing reading achievement for all students through comprehensive professional learning (PL) grounded in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills. We continue to implement the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) program as part of this commitment. This program equips teachers with a deep understanding of the structure of the English Language and focuses on evidence-based instructional practices aligned with how students learn to read. Whether teachers begin their LETRS journey with us or transfer and continue their LETRS training, they gain the knowledge and tools to implement effective literacy instruction and understand the rationale behind their practices.

In addition to LETRS, our school is implementing a new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, HMH Into Reading, this school year. This curriculum aligns with our commitment to structured literacy and provides a comprehensive approach to reading instruction that supports foundational literacy skills. To ensure a smooth transition and effective implementation, our district PD coaches provide teacher training, focusing on the curriculum’s components, instructional strategies, and resources, to empower educators as they implement HMH Into Reading in their classrooms.

Recognizing that our teachers are at various stages in their professional learning journeys, coordinating PL sessions that meet everyone’s needs can be challenging. To address this, our approach emphasizes differentiated PD based on individual teacher experiences, specific needs, and student data, ensuring that all educators receive meaningful support to enhance their instructional practices.

New teachers are paired with mentors, fostering a collaborative environment to share insights, strategies, and resources. This mentorship promotes professional growth regardless of teachers' professional learning progression. Additionally, our school’s literacy coach conducts regular check-ins to assess teachers' understanding and progress, providing targeted resources and support as needed.

Ensuring that professional learning is both relevant and impactful, focused mini-workshops, model lessons, and co-teaching, all addressing specific areas of structured literacy and foundational skills, will be offered to increase teacher capacity. Workshops may be led by teacher leaders based on the readiness and experience of those needing support. Teachers will be encouraged to implement the strategies they learn during PL sessions in their classrooms. To support this process, teachers will be invited to share their successes and challenges, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Regular analysis of student reading data will help evaluate the effectiveness of professional learning efforts and make informed adjustments to training programs. This data also drives discussions on instructional practices and areas for further development. The district PD and school literacy coaches will support teachers using coaching cycles as needed. These cycles center around student data which helps the teacher to determine the specific instructional goals they will work on to increase student achievement. Coaches provide personalized support, allowing teachers to adjust their practices based on student performance and continuously improve their instruction.

By prioritizing differentiated PD and leveraging the LETRS program and the HMH Into Reading curriculum, we aim to empower our educators to continually enhance their literacy instruction skills. This approach supports teachers’ professional growth and ensures that every student receives the high-quality literacy instruction they need to succeed. Through these diverse training opportunities, we create a dynamic learning environment where teachers and students thrive, ensuring all students develop the foundational skills necessary for lifelong reading success.

Analysis of Data

Previous School Year SMART Goals and Progress Toward Those Goals

• Please provide your school’s goals from last school year and the progress your school has made towards these goals. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to determine progress toward the goal (s). As a reminder, all schools serving third grade were required to use Goal #1 (below).

Current SMART Goals and Action Steps Based on Analysis of Data

• All schools serving students in third grade MUST respond to the third-grade reading proficiency goal. Schools that do not serve third grade students may choose a different goal. Schools may continue to use the same SMART goals from previous years or choose new goals. Goals should be academically measurable. The Reflection Tool may be helpful in determining action steps to reach an academic goal. Schools are strongly encouraged to incorporate goals from the strategic plan.