Dear Families,
I look forward to writing my weekly Blarney Stone letter. It gives me a chance to consider my week and try (sometimes successfully) to offer that reflection in a way that gives you something to think about or laugh with. Today's letter is one that will help you be better informed about a new program we are using in the Primary Division. It will be informative because it isn't written by me!
I am grateful to Mrs. Ashley Power who has brought the Slingerland� Approach to us and who is also the Chair of our Special Needs Committee. I hope you enjoy Ashley's Blarney Stone letter.
See you at Back to School Night. Come early because we will start on time.
Peace,
Chris
Dear Families,
Thank you for the opportunity to share the exciting news about the Slingerland� Approach to literacy! When I first began my journey with Slingerland� in 2011, I had no idea that it would have such a significant impact on the children I taught over the past 5 years. The Slingerland� Approach gave me the tools I needed to reach ALL of my students in my classroom. I am excited to share that all of our Primary teachers began the training in August and will continue this training over the next few months. The teachers are learning about the research behind this approach, as well as how to implement it in their own classrooms. We are blessed to be working with mentor teachers who have been using the Slingerland� Approach for over 20+ years.
Below you will find a brief overview of the approach that was taken from the Slingerland� Institute for Literacy Approach website. There is a lot of research that supports this approach. If you want to learn more please visit: http://slingerland.org/Parents/Research.
The Slingerland� Approach is a supportive instructional program that encourages academic competence, effective work habits and self-discipline. Students gain self-confidence and enthusiasm for learning as they experience success in school.This structured, sequential, simultaneous, multisensory teaching approach is designed to help students with dyslexia and other struggling readers with speaking, reading, writing and spelling. The flexibility of the approach has also made it effective in general education classrooms as well.
We are excited to see the positive impact this approach will have on our students at St. Pat's! Please read the quotes below from our very own teachers about their experience so far. Additional information will be provided at Back to School Night for parents who have students in the Primary grade levels. We look forward to sharing more information with you!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ashley Power
"I have been aware of this approach to learning for many years. Now that I have begun to get a deeper understanding, I am amazed and wish I'd taken the class years ago. It is the most concrete approach to reading and writing I have ever seen. I have no doubt that it will change the way I think as I approach the students in this new school year. It is a fantastic foundation to all literacy skills. I love the way it addresses the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic needs of the child."
Mrs. Tessa Johnson
"The multi-sensory approach to Slingerland� is exactly what I have been looking for to implement into my teaching. Not all students learn the same and this research-based approach is the perfect tool in supporting me to meet the needs of ALL of my students."
Mrs. April Nagel
"We are so excited to implement the Slingerland� literacy approach in our classrooms this year! Kindergarten students will greatly benefit from this multi-sensory learning method by giving them a systematic way of learning proper letter formation, handwriting skills, letter/sound correspondence, reading comprehension, and reading fluency. We are most excited to see all of our students learn by seeing, hearing, and doing which will give them the foundation needed to successfully navigate their literacy journey."
Mrs. Susan Krattli and Mrs. Margaret Richards
