Mrs.Abbondandolo – Reading Welcome Parents!

Welcome to Academic Intervention Services  Maria Abbondandolo  Leslie Davis  Carol Levine  Susan Licata

What are Academic Intervention Services (AIS)?  Academic Intervention Services provide a small-group learning environment where reading and writing skills are reviewed and reinforced.  These services are available for all learners who meet the entrance criteria.

What are the entrance criteria for AIS Reading Services?  Grade 1: End-of-year Kindergarten screening (ELP scores) Informal Reading Inventory (IRI/DRA) Teacher Recommendation Wilson Fundations Inventory

Wood Park AIS Reading Services Balanced literacy is provided through:  Pull-Out/Push-In Program  Flexible Grouping  Differentiated Instruction

What is Balanced Literacy?  A framework designed to help all students learn to read and write effectively.  Opportunities for real-life reading and writing experiences.

What is Guided Reading?  Small-group instruction  Flexible grouping  Students reading instructional level texts  Teacher guiding students to apply knowledge of skills and concepts  Teacher assessing comprehension

What happens during Guided Reading?  Before Reading: Students  Look at the front and back covers of the book.  Make predictions  Activate prior knowledge  Preview vocabulary  Review strategies that good readers use

What strategies do good readers use?  When encountering an unfamiliar word students can:  Look at the pictures for clues.  Skip over the word and read to the end of the sentence.  Go back and reread. Ask, “what would make sense here?”.  Look for letter sounds.  Look for smaller words within the larger word.

What happens next?  During reading:  Skills practice is embedded.  Prompts or clues are provided as needed.  Students read independently as teacher “listens in” on one student at a time.  Students read aloud to develop fluency, automaticity and expression.  Ongoing assessment is made based on student’s use of strategies and success.

What happens after reading?  After reading students:  Strengthen comprehension skills through discussion  Use multi-level questioning to develop comprehension and higher-order thinking skills  Discuss difficulties and/or strategies encountered during reading  Use graphic organizers to develop skills such as summarizing, sequencing, locating main idea and supporting details  Respond in writing

What role does the Wilson Fundations Program play in a balanced literacy program?  Wilson Fundations is the primary version of the Wilson Reading System and provides children of varying learning styles and abilities with a foundation for reading and writing.

How does the Wilson Fundations Program work?  The Wilson Fundations program works by providing reading and spelling skills and concepts in a structured, sequential and cumulative phonics/spelling program using multisensory teaching techniques.

Fundations skill development  Each level of Fundations presents skills in a carefully structured scope and frequency. These skills build on skills previously taught and are brought forward cumulatively; from unit to unit, year to year.

What skills are addressed in the Fundations Program?  The following skills are addressed and developed:  Letter formation  Phonological and Phonemic Awareness  Sound Mastery  Phonics  Vocabulary  Irregular (Trick) Word Instruction  Fluency  Comprehension  Written Expression

What happens during a Fundations reading lesson?  Lesson Activities include:  Sound drills with large or standard cards  Find letters and sounds and build words with magnetic tile boards  Dictation of sounds, words and sentences using dry erase boards  Instruction of sight (trick) words using sky writing, flashcards and student notebooks  Word play activities to review word structure and develop vocabulary  Storytime- includes reading and writing activities using controlled text to build fluency, develop automaticity, phrasing and expression.

How are books selected?  Books that are selected for guided reading and sent home:  Include high-frequency words  Include words that contain sounds currently being instructed or reviewed  Provide opportunities to practice fluency and expression

Home-School Communication  In order to establish and maintain a home- school connection, reading materials will be sent home on a regular basis.  Book baggies will be sent home each Friday. Please return on Monday or Tuesday of following week.  Please share the materials from the baggie with your child, and use suggested materials and activities to reinforce skills, concepts and vocabulary introduced in school.  Please check e-board for student and parent resources.

How can you contact me?  You can contact me through the school e- mail system at  You can also correspond through my e- board: mabbondandolo.commack.site.eboard.com  I will note on child’s reading log when you should check e-board for new information or materials.

Let’s Have a Great Year!