Title 1 Newsletter
MARCH 2024
DAYTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Our Reading Groups
Small reading groups offer numerous benefits. Here are some of the key advantages:
Personalized Attention: In smaller groups, each reader can receive more individualized attention from the teacher or facilitator. This allows for tailored instruction based on each student's needs, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Increased Engagement: With fewer students, it's easier to foster a sense of community and active participation. Students may feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts, asking questions, and engaging in discussions, leading to deeper comprehension and retention of the material.
Supportive Environment: Small reading groups provide a supportive atmosphere where students can build confidence in their reading abilities. They can receive encouragement and feedback from both the teacher and their peers, helping them overcome challenges and grow as readers.
Enhanced Comprehension: Through focused discussions and collaborative activities, students can deepen their understanding of the text. Small groups allow for more in-depth exploration of literary elements, such as character development, plot analysis, and thematic concepts.
Improved Social Skills: Working in small groups fosters interpersonal skills such as communication, teamwork, and empathy. Students learn to listen to others, express their ideas clearly, and respectfully consider different perspectives, which are valuable skills both inside and outside the classroom.
Targeted Instruction: Small groups enable teachers to address specific learning objectives and target areas of difficulty more effectively. Teachers can tailor instruction to meet the needs of each group, whether it's focusing on decoding skills, vocabulary development, or higher-level comprehension strategies.
Flexible Pacing: With smaller groups, teachers have greater flexibility to adjust the pace of instruction based on the group's progress. They can provide additional support or challenge as needed, ensuring that all students are appropriately challenged and making meaningful progress.
Overall, small reading groups offer a dynamic and supportive learning environment where students can develop their reading skills, deepen their understanding of texts, and build important social and cognitive skills essential for academic success and lifelong learning.
UFLI (Phonics Program)
Dayton Elementary School has started to use UFLI (The University of Florida Literacy Institute). The UFLI Phonics Program is a game-changer with our students. Phonics is the method of teaching reading and writing through the association of sounds with letters, is a fundamental skill that lays the foundation for a child's literacy journey. We are noticing significant gains in phonemic awareness, decoding, and oral reading fluency in our students after using this program.
READ & ROCK FAMILY NIGHT
A BIG thank you to all of our community readers! Your presence and participation in our school means the world to us, and we're truly grateful for your ongoing support.
We had around 300 people attend our Read and Rock family engagement night. Students enjoyed a night of books and dancing. Each student took home a shirt (with friends signatures), a book, and snack. We hope you had fun reading, sharing stories, and dancing your wiggles out. Remember, every book is a ticket to a new adventure, and every page turned is a step closer to discovering something amazing. Keep up the fantastic reading, and let your imaginations soar! We can't wait for our next reading night together.