I am currently the PALS Coordinator/Instructor at Rocky Gap Elementary School. Prior to my current position working with PALS, I taught first grade for many years, then worked as a Title I reading teacher in Buchanan County, VA. I received my B.A. in Elem. Educ. from Berea College in Berea , KY. and my M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction (with Reading Specialist Endorsement) from VA Tech. I enjoy working with the children at R.G.E.S. very much! They are a great group of kiddos!
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Welcome to the R.G.E.S. PALS page. PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) is a state-wide program for students in grades PreK-3 which is designed to identify those students at risk of reading difficulties and to provide those students with early literacy intervention through a variety of strategies.
All students are administered the PALS assessment each Fall and Spring in order to determine eligibility for the PALS remediation program. Additionally, the information provided by the PALS Assessment provides teachers with beneficial information useful in implementing focused instruction based upon the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, as well as the class as a whole. Assessments are also administered each January which are designed to monitor student progress.
Tutoring for students enrolled in the PALS remediation program is given in a small group setting for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. This tutoring is given in addition to the regular reading instruction in the classroom. I recommend that parents of those students who participate in PALS visit the PALS web site to learn more about the program. In addition to providing information about the program, the website has many suggested activities and ressources which you can use at home in order to help your child become a more fluent reader. (Web address for PALS is: www.pals.virginia.edu/)
Notes of Interest for week of February 13-17, 2012:
The objective of the Rocky Gap Elem. PALS program is to identify those students most at risk of reading difficulties and to provide those students with targeted remediation using a variety of instructional strategies.
This week we are working on the following skills:
Pre-K - Phonemic Awareness and pre-reading skills
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K- alphabet recognition and letter sounds, Oo /o/, concept of word
1st grade - short vowel review - short a, i, u sounds, reading accurately and fluently
2nd grade - short and long sounds of e - CVC, CVCe patterns, silent e, reading accurately and fluently
3rd grade - sounds of a: short a , long a, ar (bossy r), reading accurately and fluently
NOTE: February 17th is now a regular teaching day.
