New tactic in reading pays off for schools

While some western Colorado elementary schools have reading programs that use a series of standard reading textbooks, schools such as Orchard Avenue and the New Emerson School use a textbook-free workshop model that allows students to choose their own grade-appropriate books from a classroom library and encourages them to engage in discussion about the books with their teachers and peers. Teachers says this approach is paying off. Results of the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests appear to support that claim. This year, 33 percent of Orchard Avenue’s third-graders were considered advanced readers. New Emerson’s third-graders ranked second in the district at 19 percent. In comparison, unofficial CSAP results for 11 of the district’s 25 elementary schools showed less than 5 percent of their third-graders were considered advanced readers. Read more of this article from The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction.