Corrective Reading Implementation

1. If you are starting from scratch,

a. Test all kids (grade 3 and up in elementary school) in both decoding and comprehension.

b. Put the tests in piles according to the level (A, B1, B2, C) and program (decoding, comprehension).

c. Make groups (the lower the placement, the smaller the group). Note: kids may come from different classes and even grade levels. Cross-grade homogeneous grouping.

d. Assign teachers to the groups. [Should be voluntary.]

e. Order materials from the sales rep. [Call Frances Bessellieu. 910-791-4517]

f. Get training [Call Frances.]

2. If you are getting kids from other schools (for example, you are a middle school fed by four elementary schools)

a. In August, test kids who come from out of district; e.g., some kid named Homer Snopes from Mississippi, and his twin sister, Homette.

b. In the summer, get NC end-of-grade writing test scores from sending schools. Give CR tests to kids who scored in level 1 or 2 (out of the four end-of-grade levels).

c. If sending schools used CR, get each kid's placement and lesson completed (e.g., decoding, lesson 55). Place five lessons back. [The safest thing is to test these kids, too.]

d. Add these kids to the groups, as noted in 1, above.

3. If you have been using CR for at least one year, tentatively place kids about five lessons back from where they ended in May. Also look at kids' NC end-of-grade tests. If they placed in levels 1 or 2 (NOT good), give them the CR tests again. [Something is wrong. They didn't try. The test is invalid—has to do with more than good reading. They weren't taught well. Do something about it:

a. Ongoing supervision and training (in-class and after school).

b. Teach kids how to take the NC tests. This NOT teaching TO the test. It is test prep.

c. Pump them up before the state tests; pizza afterwards.

4. The school has to decide if it is going to use decoding and comprehension level C. This is high level material. By the end of B2, kids should be able to read high level books. Maybe it's best to have them do this.

5. Establish a time (about an hour) every day for CR. Kids not in CR could be doing independent or guided reading. This time must be inviolable.

6. Be aware that some kids move mighty slowly and others quickly. Move them to a slower-moving or faster-moving group on the same level; e.g., move Billy "Willy" Bunn from a faster decoding B1 group to a slower decoding B1 group.

7. When kids are done with B2, decide if you are going to use level C or just regular texts. How do you decide? Easy. Just give them sample passages from regular texts and see how they do—accuracy and speed.

8. Encourage teachers to examine the design of the curricula (e.g., strands) and the lessons—so they know why CR is organized as it is.

9. Encourage teachers to use some of the same methods when teaching other subjects; e.g., signals, clear wording, brevity, quick pace, error correction, delayed tests, teaching vocabulary, comprehension questions ("How do you know?").