The all new reading program at Blue Mountain is called Direct Instruction. From kindergarten to second grade, it’s focused on reading mastery. In third grade and up, it is focused on corrective reading. Although BMU is still using guided reading and other techniques from the past, this new reading style helps students tackle the sounding out of letters and words. This should make it easier to sound out unknown words that would have been more difficult to read beforehand. The most critical part to this program is that the teachers are holding the students to mastery, which means they can understand the concept and the word or sound in different perspectives. Reading interventionist in the elementary school, Sandy Parker, explains not only the learning that has to be done by the students but the teachers as well. “It’s new for teachers, it’s a new approach. We are working with our trainers who come once a month and they are coaching us because it’s a different approach.” When speaking on the students’ behalf, Mrs. Parker states, “Students are feeling successful throughout the lessons each day; they feel like they are fully engaged in their learning. They love to celebrate their successes. When they get it and they get to move on or something was difficult and now they’re able to do it, I just think they feel really good about it.” The hope for this new program is to set students up to be able to tackle difficult reading situations and overall become better readers.

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(BNN Photo/K.Blood)