Best Practices
Best Practices with Research Based Programs Used at DCIU Literacy Camp
The mission of the DCIU Literacy Camp is to provide our students with intensive instruction in reading, spelling and writing. To accomplish this, researched based programs a nd practices form the core of the instruction, supplying the students with sound strategies to achieve success. The following programs are implemented during Literacy Camp:
- Project Read Phonology – The Project Read Phonology Strand is a multi-sensory, explicit, systematic program providing direct instruction in decoding and encoding. Students are engaged in the process of decoding by using VAKT techniques (visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile), such as segmenting the sounds and tapping (kinesthetic and tactile) then blending the word aloud (auditory and visual). This process also affords students a strong strategy to learn to spell.
- Read Naturally – The Read Naturally program incorporates the research based strategy of teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring to maximize reading proficiency. Although the goal of the program is to increase reading fluency, comprehension strategies may also be introduced and practiced.
Step-Up to Writing – This writing program is a multi-sensory structured, explicit approach to teaching expository and narrative texts in carefully designed steps moving from easy to more complex structures. The program provides multiple opportunities to practice all components of the writing process and provides immediate feedback to students.