Palmer Catholic Academy                R.E.A.D.S.

Read, Enjoy, Achieve, Develop, Succeed

Palmer R.E.A.D.S. is a school wide literacy program based on current research findings, students’ needs and the higher level thinking assessments being presented to our students. The Palmer R.E.A.D.S. program has three main goals: 1. To provide more opportunities during  the school day and at home for authentic, meaningful reading and writing activities. 2. To provide our students with a bank of reading and writing strategies they can apply independently to any type of text. 3. To create students who not only can read but do read (and enjoy it!)

Research has provided a direct correlation between the amount of time students spend reading and their achievement in all areas of the curriculum.  To provide more opportunities in school for reading and writing, your child’s classroom schedule may contain large blocks of time dedicated to reading and writing. Research has shown that an uninterrupted sixty to ninety minute period of time for reading and writing instruction results in more authentic reading and writing activities. These large spans of time are called literacy blocks. Literacy block instruction consists of read alouds, reading logs, independent silent reading, oral and written responses to text, author’s craft and direct teaching of reading strategies.

Book of the Month May Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

Strategy of the Month May "Fix it Up"

The Book of the Month series is a part of the R.E.A.D.S. program.  Each class will have a copy of the selected book, discuss the book and complete related developmentally appropriate activities. The goal of the Book of the Month series is to promote home and school wide discussion about books.

Reading strategies are tools  students can use to help understand what they are reading.  Current research has studied proficient readers and isolated seven strategies these readers use to understand the text. These strategies include: *  Making connections *  Asking questions *  Inferring *  Visualizing *  Determining Importance *  Synthesizing/Summarizing  Information *  “Fix up” strategies These strategies are designed to be taught and applied at all grade levels, in all subject areas.  Each strategy will be introduced and modeled by the teacher over several days or weeks.  The students will be involved in guided practice and encouraged to apply the strategy independently.  We will focus on one strategy each month from September through May. Although strategies are introduced separately, they are not meant to be used in isolation.  All of the reading strategies are interrelated and will be used together to help readers make sense of the text.

Independent Reading Program              Grades 3-6

A goal of reading 25 books a year has been set for students in third grade through sixth grade. This number includes novels read in class as well as books read for enjoyment. Parents play an important role in the success of the Palmer R.E.A.D.S. program.  Modeling reading habits and reinforcing reading logs and reading homework are essential to the program. When parents encourage their children to read, they open a door to an exciting world.  By making reading a habit and setting aside time to read each day, children can become better readers and more successful students. Reading will become a lifelong habit if we encourage our children to increase the amount of time they read for enjoyment.

Click here for more information on the Independent Reading Program.