Learning: Reading
The Dollar Difference

Thanks to a federal grant, NEA members at five Maryland schools have solid training and research, and resources to teach low-income students.

It's reading time in her second grade classroom at William Paca Old Post Road Elementary School, and Maryland member Ellen Harris says she can't quite believe her eyes or ears.

"In the past for some students, it was a struggle to read even one book, let alone two or three," explains Harris, a 34-year classroom veteran." For others, it was a chore or a bore."

These days, the students in Harris's classroom are not only reading, they're recommending books to one another, books they can pull off the shelves of an 800-book classroom library.

The library is just one of the benefits of belonging to the Harford County Reading Excellence Act program, funded by a two-year $2 million federal grant for literacy programs. Set up for K-3 teachers in five Harford County Schools, this program combines a summer teaching institute, monthly training sessions led by reading specialists, and an extensive classroom library.

The five elementary schools--Havre de Grace, Hall's Cross Road, William Paca/Old Post Road, Magnolia, and Edgewood--serve the poorest children in the county, a requirement of the federal program established during the Clinton administration. "The idea is that children in these schools need even more attention and resources to help them learn to read," explains program coordinator June Clark.

What distinguished Harford County from other literacy programs is how the money is used. "Our program is broader in scope, combining teacher training and classroom resources," says Clark. "The summer institute and monthly meetings offer teachers the latest in reading research, and we have three teacher specialists who work with teachers in the program.

Sandra Leonard is one of those specialists. "We're here to guide the teachers in their efforts to help struggling readers succeed and fluent readers stay challenged," explains Leonard. "We also offer technical assistance. If something we suggest doesn't work for the teacher, we're there to help them through it."

Teachers like Ellen Harris value that extra help. "It's great to know someone is there to support your work and to help you if you don't understand a particular teaching strategy," says Harris. "They follow up with us and help us understand the research behind the work."

They also help organize each classroom library into reading levels and help the teachers guide readers through the levels. "Before, you had a library with a mix of books picked up at garage sales and library sales," says Harris. "Now, I've got a library that challenges and invites students to read."

The results are plain to see. "I've got students pulling out books and telling others, 'Just wait 'till you get to this level, this book's really great,'" says Harris. "It's every teacher's dream."

--Anita Merina

How To...
Win a Million for Your Program

The Reading Excellence Act grant program may be over, but grant possibilities aren't. The Bush administration recently designated $900 million in literacy funds in its Elementary and Secondary Education Act. How can you win one of these grants? Carol Hepler, creator of the Harford County Reading Excellence Act program, shares her tips.

Read the research. Know what you're talking about and how your program addresses critical needs and applies more recent research. Demonstrate your knowledge of what works and what doesn't.

Create a solid foundation of staff development. Invest heavily in staff development. Create programs that provide training, provide follow-up, and technical assistance. Programs with ongoing support mean you'll be able to handle problems and adjust to new challenges.

Offer high-quality reading materials. Choose books and supporting materials that provide the best reading for students.

Establish strong administrative and community support. Administrators must buy into the program and not impede its progress. And a strong family and parental involvement component is key--Harford County's program offered regular family reading nights and training for parents. Parents are also able to check out books from the classroom library to take home and read to their children--a critical key to success.