Title I Newsletter
Neshaminy School District, March 2021
Dear Neshaminy Families,
The Title I Newsletter is published to keep you up to date and informed about what is happening in Title I. This issue is dedicated to familiarizing families with the nuts and bolts of five big areas of reading plus print awareness. The red buttons at the end are linked to home-strategies to support parents and guardians in working with their youngsters at home.
Sincerely,
Ms. Maurizi
Title I Reading Specialist & Coordinator
Reading 101: Reading Basics for Parents
Click the underlined, blue bolded words to read more about each area of literacy. The links include an in-depth explanation of each term as well as information about what parents/guardians can do at home to support developing readers.
Print Awareness Print awareness is the understanding that print carries meaning and that in English it reads from left to right. It also means learning that books contain letters and words, have front and back covers, and are handled in a certain way. | Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Phonological and phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language — including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest units of sound (phonemes). | Alphabetic Principle, Phonics and Decoding Phonics is a step-by-step way to teach the alphabetic principle — the idea that letters represent the sounds of spoken language — and that there is a predictable relationship between letters and sounds. "Decoding" is the act of sounding out words using phonics. |
Print Awareness
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Alphabetic Principle, Phonics and Decoding
Fluency: reading with accuracy and expression Fluency is a child's ability to read a book or other text with accuracy, at a reasonable rate, and with appropriate expression. Reading fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. | Vocabulary: word meanings Vocabulary is word knowledge. Word learning is an ongoing process — we are always adding to our "word bank." The goal is to recognize and understand the meaning of spoken and written words. | Comprehension: understanding what you read Comprehension is the goal of reading! It is the thinking process readers use to understand what they read. Strong vocabulary, background knowledge, and an understanding of how language works are keys to comprehension. -Reading Rockets |
Fluency: reading with accuracy and expression
Vocabulary: word meanings
Comprehension: understanding what you read
-Reading Rockets
Home-Activities for Developing Readers
Use these sound boxes to help children segment sounds in words. Place one game chip under each box. Students say the name of each picture and then push up a chip for each sound in that word. Great for small group instruction!
Blending sounds primes kids for print. Play a new variation to a favorite children’s game. Play "I Spy". For directions to this game, see activity 3 in the link.
To master the alphabetic principle, students must identify the number of sounds in a word and then associate the letter or letters that represent each sound. Mapping the letters to the sounds moves students from phoneme awareness to phonics!
Use pool noodles to practice making and reading real and make believe words. Thumbs up if the word is real, and thumbs down if the word is a nonsense word. Have fun with these manipulatives.
Directly teach your child new vocabulary with this easy four step process.
What is Title I?
Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides financial assistance to school districts and schools with high percentages of children from families that may have various disadvantages. The federal funding is used to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Title I is the largest of the federally funded education programs.
This year, there are 4 Schoolwide Title I Schools at Neshaminy School District. As such, our Title I funds and services can provide comprehensive strategies for improving the entire school so that every student achieves high levels of academic proficiency. Listed below are some of the benefits to being a Schoolwide Title I school:
- All students may participate in Title I funded initiatives
- Maximizes flexibility in using Federal funds
- Serves as a vehicle for whole-school reform with focus on improving achievement of lowest- achieving students.
- Addresses student needs through a Schoolwide plan based on a comprehensive needs assessment.
How Parents/Guardians Can Get Involved in Title I
Parents/guardians are notified about Title I services and encouraged to participate in school activities/meetings. Families may participate in informational meetings and learning opportunities throughout the school year. Parents/guardians are provided information via newsletters, emails, social media, conferences, school web pages, meetings and workshops.
Learn more about Title I at Neshaminy !