Currently,
my action research project has progressed significantly, and we are in the final stages of it.
We have created the program, implemented the initiative, checked out books to
each classroom, and started the entire O.S.C.A.R. initiative. I have had
additional opportunities that have come up as a result of this program. We were
able to fund the program through a $25,000 grant we received for our school,
and I was on the grant writing team. I have also been the main person to
barcode, scan, and check out books to each teacher. ELA teachers were on board from the beginning and
started the fifteen minutes of reading every day from the day we received
the books. However, we are having obstacles with our Math teachers. They seemed
to have a problem with taking 15 minutes a day out of their classroom to read right
before STAAR. The administrative team stepped in, and allowed the math teachers
to focus on STAAR rather than the reading initiative. That was a disappointment
for the O.S.C.A.R. committee, just because we needed our students to have that
extra reading time in their classrooms. Instead, they agreed to start reading
as soon as STAAR testing was done, which will be next week. I am hoping they
see the value and importance of independent reading in their classroom and how
it will help their math scores as well if we can develop critical reading
skills.
It also
seems that other subject areas really want to get involved with this program.
Our Science teachers have come up to us and asked if they could be a part of
this process. Their department chair had requested they focused on academic
reading rather than reading for pleasure. I’m not sure if she has changed her
mind or not, but the team seems to be excited about the possibilities.
This
project has created our school to be a culture of literacy. Students are
carrying books with them everywhere. It is “cool” to be reading. I’m now hoping
our STAAR scores will indicate the growth of independent reading in our
classrooms and at home. Students will be given a survey at the end of the
program to demonstrate their increase in reading.
