News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The state Department of Education traveled to Jackson County’s Dodson’s Branch Elementary School Wednesday to launch the Reading 360 Decodables Program.
The at-home series focuses on a certain sound for each book for young readers to practice. Director of Schools Kristy Brown said the program will help with Jackson County’s goal to lead the state in literacy.
“I fully believe with the support of you all and materials like this that support the curriculum that we are doing at school that this is going to put Jackson County not only improving in literacy but leading in literacy,” Brown said.
Commissioner Penny Schwinn was at the event and said moving the needle for literacy takes partnerships from the state level all the way to the homes of students. Schwinn said Jackson County is a model district when it comes to working together.
“It can not be one building. It can not be one district. It is everybody coming together,” Schwinn said. “And when we have bright spots like you see here, it shows what is possible, and it shows the power of community, organizations and people who care deeply about our kids what we can actually get done.”
The book series is available for free for all families of K-2 children. All Tennessee families can order one packet for each of their kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students. The booklets will be delivered to the mailing address provided.
“When you get these at home, you’ll be able to see a letter from the Governor (…) and then some reading tips,” Schwinn said. “This is exactly what you can do with your students to make sure when your reading decodables you know the best strategies and know what to point out. The early pages you can see the sounds that your students are going to work on.”
The program is a part of the Reading 360 Initiative. Each packet has 7 decodable booklets, which contain 20 or more stories full of sounds and words to practice. The books can be found at www.tn.gov/education/decodables.
