Goodrich – It wasn’t until Karen Pryjomski received a note from Reid Elementary School explaining her daughter, Sarra, needed a new literacy program that Pryjomski realized her daughter was getting behind in reading.
Pryjomski said Sarra entered Kindergarten at 4-years-old and turned 5 on Nov. 24, just before the Dec.1 cut-off, making her one of the youngest children in her class.
‘A lot of parents would hold their child back from school a year if they were that young; however, I couldn’t afford day care that year,? said Pryjomski.
Thanks to the new literacy program instituted that same year, Pryjomski said Sarra received the help she needed then and is still being monitored closely today by reading coaches at the school.
‘I am so grateful for the literacy program at Reid. It caught Sarra’s problem just at the right time and when she needed it most,? said Pryjomski. ‘Sarra is in first grade now and is only 6-years-old. She has to compete with 7- and 8-year-old children in her class. Knowing she is working one-on-one with literacy coaches gives me peace of mind.?
Reid Elementary School Principal Paul Minns said if students get behind in reading and writing during their first few years of school they could stay behind.
‘Basically the first three years of a child’s education are the years the foundation is laid for students to make gains with literacy development. If we don’t intervene, they would continue to struggle,? said Minns.
The new literacy program, in its second year of implementation, keeps students up to speed in reading and writing.
Minns said the program is broken into two parts. ‘Basically what we have done is broken our day in half,? said Minns. ‘There are three teachers who teach reading recovery for half of the day for first grade students. Then for the second half of the day, each of the three literacy coaches will go into Kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms to work in the classroom with students who may be struggling.?
One of the biggest things Minns said they try to foster with early learners is a love for reading. He said parents should spend 20 minutes a day reading with their child Monday through Friday, which he said would equate to 10 school days annually.
‘Parents reading with their children is huge and it doesn’t take a whole lot of time,? said Minns. ‘What it boils down to is what experiences and exposure a child has to a learning and literacy environment,? said Minns.