This year, District 200 adopted the ReadyGEN literacy program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Mary Endres Elementary School, Olson Elementary School, and Verda Dierzen Early Childhood Center. During the 2016-17 school year, the program will be implemented at the remaining District 200 schools, including:  Clay, Dean, Greenwood, Prairiewood, and Westwood.  The ReadyGEN reading program offers a dynamic combination of literary and informational texts.  In this program, our students spend a considerable amount of time analyzing each text and developing their literacy skills.  The focus is on creating depth in their level of understanding and that is accomplished through repeated readings and challenging discussions.

 

At Kindergarten, the students are using hard copy books for their literacy instruction.  At that level, it is important that the children develop their concepts of print (reading left to right, top to bottom, etc.).  Beginning in first grade and continuing through third grade, the students can access the literacy program through their Chromebook and through hard copy texts meant to support struggling readers.  At fourth and fifth grade, the students access all of their texts in a digital format.  Our teachers and students are effectively using the Canvas learning management system to organize and access this literacy series.  With the increased rigor of the texts and the learning activities in the ReadyGEN program, we are challenging our students to achieve at very high levels and we are excited about the future of literacy instruction in District 200.