An integrative component of Margaretta's Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan is the reading and literacy initiative that began in 2020. Our leadership teams have worked to provide high quality resources for all teachers in the district to develop their skills in the classroom, which in turn is how our students are demonstrating their success. Before the science of reading became a requirement in the state of Ohio, educators in our district were leading the way in the use of evidence based practices and materials for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

June 2022 - Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit

April 2024 - Ohio Senate Education Committee 

September 2024 - Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Margaretta Elementary School

  • Reading decodable books, builds confidence in emerging readers while learning about history, science, and arts

  • Multi-modal approach to reading, handwriting, and spelling

  • Explicit instruction in phonics, recognizing where students are in practice

  • Students are engaged in activities to practice, such as dry erase or letter tiles

  • Students are reading and following up with discussion and writing practice 

  • Civil Rights Leaders module, students read about real life heroes, listen to speeches, and work on comprehension

  • Book "Tasting" - Sample books in our study list, journal about foods that are discussed as part of each story

One Book, One School book and author study

Preschool Author Study Dr. Suess

  • Daily focus on vocabulary, reading, writing, and discourse in all classrooms

BEARS Time: A mix of activities based on evidence from assessments that can include language literacy and mathematics

  • Middle School students work on iReady study

  • Explicit vocabulary instruction

  • No Red Ink 

  • ACT practice

WRITE Place Assistance: students are able to focus on specific reading or writing assignments with assistance from teachers

  • Michelle Elia, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Leading Literacy and Dyslexia Intervention

  • Rachel Lang Daniels, ESC of Central Ohio, Adolescent Literacy Consultant

  • Cyndi Schultz, Academy of Orton-Gillingham Fellow, Consultant, Speech Pathologist

  • Brandi Goodwin, Gifted Education Consultant and SOLE Ambassador, Northpoint ESC

  • Marcy Henry, Literacy Specialist/Consultant, Northpoint ESC

  • Dr. Mary Heather Munger, University of Findlay, Associate Professor of Education and Team Leader of Reading

  • Dr. Julie McIntosh, University of Findlay, Dean of the College of Education

  • Dr. Mitchell Brookins, Managing Director, Science of Reading Network

Phonemic Awareness: the ability to identity and play with individual sounds in spoken words

Phonics: understanding how letters and groups of letters link to sounds

Fluency: the ability to read words, phrases, sentences and stories correctly with speed and expression

Vocabulary: knowing what words mean and how to use them properly

Comprehension: the ability to understand what you are reading