At Battlefield Park Elementary, our goal in language arts is to increase students’ passion for reading. We strive to develop independent, strategic readers who can think critically when reading a text, interpret and respond orally, and provide application in written text. We foster a love of reading and writing through authentic literacy experiences for each student. During classroom observations and ongoing assessments, teachers, the reading specialist, and administrators collect information about students’ strengths and areas of growth. This instructional data helps us determine resources that will help ensure students experience optimal growth through a variety of instructional opportunities. While our literacy instruction is based on our students’ needs, all instruction encompasses the Virginia Standards of Learning and Hanover County expectations.
Our core reading specialist, Ms. Williams, works with students, teachers, and families to help students achieve literacy goals and discover the joy of reading and writing. In addition to working with small groups of students, she also collaborates with teachers and provides resources as well as ongoing professional development to support and enrich literacy instruction in the classroom. The major focus of Ms. Williams' efforts during the school year is to collaborate with teachers to enhance their guided reading instruction.
Ms. Williams and our other interventionists also provide supplementary instruction that best meets the needs of students who struggle to master certain learning objectives and need additional support. All of Battlefield’s intervention groups are flexible. Students receive intervention services as needed and may move in and out of groups according to their needs. Below are some of the intervention options available at Battlefield Park Elementary School.
Contact
Alyssa Williams, Core Reading Specialist
BPES Reading Interventions
Literacy Groups Through Tutors
Our reading tutor, Jackie Magill, works alongside the reading specialist to provide supplemental instruction for students three days a week. The instruction may focus on a specific skill, such as spelling, fluency, or writing, or it may be a second dose of guided reading in a small group setting.
A retired teacher, Lucy Jarvis, works with small groups in kindergarten, first, and third grades. She also works with the reading specialist to determine instructional needs. Her instruction focuses on letter/sound relationships, application of phonics skills, reading and writing, and comprehension. Mrs. Jarvis meets with students two days a week.
Additional Literacy Groups
Ms. Williams provides a second dose of guided reading instruction to struggling kindergarten students. These students need additional exposure to pre-literacy skills such as rhyming, letter recognition, letter sounds, the concept of words, etc.
One-to-One Instruction
Two of Battlefield Park’s instructional assistants are trained in ABC letter tracing and work with approximately six kindergarten students on a daily basis.