The South Dakota Department of Education is conducting a statewide literacy initiative designed to build better readers across the state.
Pierre Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelly Glodt says some of the district’s teachers have already taken advantage of the new program.
The literacy initiative is based on research collectively called the Science of Reading and includes an emphasis on phonics, which is a method of teaching reading by correlating sounds with letters. Schools that choose to participate will receive support such as technical guidance, documents and free professional learning opportunities for school staff.
State Education Secretary Dr. Joe Graves says the ability to read is foundational to all learning. He says up until about 3rd grade, students are learning to read; after that, they are reading to learn, so it’s critical that students have strong reading skills early in their educational journey.
Graves says successful implementation requires a systematic effort across a school, which is why the professional learning is available to every educator in a school, from paraprofessionals to teachers to school administrators. He says while South Dakota students typically outperform their peers across the country, reading proficiency rates on the state assessment have not changed significantly in the last several years.
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