A presentation on the multi-tiered, constantly evolving literacy project undertaken by the Stoney Education Authority - a first rate First Nations education system in Morley, Alberta, Canada.

1. Stoney Education Authority’s
Literacy Project
Questions? Contact:
Merton Palmer

2. What some of today's leading literacy authorities are saying...
Dr. Louisa Cook Moats
Dr. Edward Kame'enui
Director of Professional Development and
Director of the Institute for the
Research Initiatives,
Development of Educational Achievement
Sopris West Educational Services
(IDEA),
Dr. Barbara Kapinus University of Oregon
Senor Policy Analyst,
Arthur Rolnick
National Literacy Association (USA)
Senior Vice President and Director of
Dr. Keith Stanovich research,
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Canada Research Chair of Applied Cognitive
Science at the Department of Human
Dr. George Farkas
Development and Applied Psychology,
Professor of Sociology Demography &
University of Toronto
Education, Penn State
Author: “What Reading Does for the Mind”
Dr. Eric Hanushek
Dr. Michael Merzenich
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
Member, National Academy of Sciences
Professor emeritus neuroscientist,
Dr. Paula Tallal
UCSF
Board of Governor's Chair of Neuroscience
Dr. Alex Granzin and Co-Director of the Center for Molecular
and Behavioral Neuroscience,
School Psychologist
Rutgers University
Past President,
Oregon School Psychologists' Association
James Wendorf
Dr. G. Reid Lyon Executive Director , National Center for
Learning Disabilities
Former Chief of the Child Development and
Behavior Branch within the National
Robert Wedgeworth
Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) at the National President, ProLiteracy Worldwide
Institute of Health (NIH)

3. Crystalized vs. Fluid Intelligence
Crystalized
Intelligence is the
accumulation of
knowledge
Fluid Intelligence is
the innate intelligence
one is born with

4. ! Aboriginal literacy:
What’s the Urgency?
February 25th, 2009:“Working Together to Improve the Education
Achievement of Aboriginal Learners” Conference
Pan-Canadian dialogue on eliminating the achievement gap
between First Nation, Métis, and Inuit learners and other
Canadian learners
40 Aboriginal leaders
Provincial/Territorial Ministries of Education
Aboriginal Affairs Ministers

5. ! Aboriginal literacy:
What’s the Urgency?
Emphasized a commitment to be “working collaboratively to
improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal learners”
Saskatchewan Minister of Education, Honourable Ken Krawetz
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2009/25/c3724.html
Addressed the need to enhance Aboriginal educational achievement,
and to focus on:
Early learning opportunities
The education funding gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
learners
The limited participation in post-secondary education
The shortage of quality school infrastructure

6. Reading is a large part of Literacy, but the Stoney Education Authority’s
Literacy Project encompasses more than Reading.

7. The definition of Literacy is:
Reading
Writing
Thinking
Math

8. Components of Reading
Phonemic Awareness
Code Knowledge
Fluency
Comprehension

9. Some Postulates of Reading:
Written language is an invention - it is not an instinct like oral
language
Therefore, it must be taught
Reading is a language-based activity
One cannot read a language he doesn’t know
One learns to read by reading
Reading makes you smart

10. Other Lesser Truths:
It only takes between 50 and 100 hours to teach a person to
read
There are many approaches to the teaching of reading;
however, not all approaches are equally effective

11. Components of Reading
Language
ESPECIALLY IN EARLY GRADES
Background Knowledge
Reading Instruction
Phonology Phonemic Code Fluency Thinking Skills
Knowledge
Awareness
Comprehension
Morphology Comprehension Skills
Semantics Reading Practise
Syntax
AFTER PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSING IS MASTERED...
Prosody

12. Literacy Programs
Literacy Component Strategies Assessment Instruments
-Discover Reading -Discover Reading Tests
Kindergarten Program -Phono-Graphix Tests
Phonemic Awareness
-Discover Reading Main
Program
-Jolly Phonics
-Discover Reading, (Junior) -Discover Reading Tests
Code Knowledge &
-Discover Reading, -Word Attack Subtest from
Decoding
(Standard) Woodcock Johnson Reading Test
-Test of Word Reading Eficiency
-The Six Minute Solution -Test of Word Reading Eficiency
Fluency
-Precision Reading -Discover Reading
-Discover Reading
Reading -Read 180 -Scholastic Reading Inventory
Comprehension
-Literacy Place -Fluency levels
-Fast ForWord -Test of Word Reading Eficiency
-Structure Style -My Writing Web (provides lexile
Written Expression -Read 180 levels in writing)
-My Writing Web -6+1 Traits of Writing
Writing -Bright Start -Canadian Test of Cognitive Skills
Thinking (Cognitive) Skills -Feuerstein Instrumental
Enrichment Programs (Basic
Thinking
Standard)
-Discover Math -Multi-level Academic Survey Test
Math Math -Regular math program -Wide Range Achievement Test
-Key Math
-Discover Math Tests

13. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)
A comprehensive
and systematic Discover Reading Program
program designed Beginner Level
to enhance basic
decoding and Discover Reading Program
Main Program
spelling skills for JUNIOR, STANDARD
students of all
ages. Done in Intensive
Literacy Rooms

14. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)
Intensive Literacy Rooms
----------------
----------------
---------------- ----------------

15. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)
Intensive Literacy Rooms

16. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)
Intensive Literacy Rooms

17. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)

18. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)

19. Reading
Discover Reading
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)

20. Reading
developed by Scholastic
“Solution For Struggling Readers”
Innovative, research-based reading
intervention program
Directly addresses individual needs through
adaptive and instructional software, high-
interest literature, and direct instruction in
reading skills.

21. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Classroom Diagram

22. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Software

23. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Independent Reading

24. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Independent Reading

25. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Small Group

26. Reading
developed by Scholastic
Computer Adaptive Assessment
Functions as a quick quot;reading physicalquot; at all stages of a student's
academic career, from Grade 1 to Grade 12.
Used at all levels to pretest at the beginning of the school year, and
test again at intervals throughout the year to measure reading
growth and determine needs.
Measures using Lexile framework

27. Reading Thinking
developed by Scientific Learning
“Fit Brains Learn Better”
Family of educational software intended to help
strengthen brain processing efficiency for reading
and learning
Applies neuroscience principles of brain plasticity
Exercises every basic brain function involved in
language, from decoding sounds up to comprehension

28. Reading Thinking
developed by Scientific Learning

29. Reading Thinking
developed by Scientific Learning

30. Writing
Structure Style
developed by Institute for Excellence in
Learning
http://www.excellenceinwriting.com

31. The Feuerstein Instrumental
Thinking
Enrichment Program
developed by Prof. Reuven Feuerstein
Israel

32. The Feuerstein Instrumental
Thinking
Enrichment Program
developed by Prof. Reuven Feuerstein
Israel

33. The Feuerstein Instrumental
Thinking
Enrichment Program
developed by Prof. Reuven Feuerstein
Israel

34. The Feuerstein Instrumental
Thinking
Enrichment Program
developed by Prof. Reuven Feuerstein
Israel

35. Math
Discover Math
developed by The Reading Foundation
(Calgary, Vancouver)
Teaches all math
concepts in the
Western Provinces’
curriculum
Moves from the
concrete, to the
representational, to
the abstract

36. Implementation
Training all teachers and Trying to erase the line between
Educational Assistants in our basic special education and regular
programs. education, and include special
education students in our literacy
programs.
On-going professional development
with grade level teachers’ meetings
every Monday. Trying to program for 3 levels of
students in each grade
Every Friday afternoon, meeting
and on-going training with Example: Grades 4-6. Students
Educational Assistants. not ready for Read 180 get the
basic reading program. Those
who are behind in reading, but
Each school has a literacy
are able to participate get
coordinator and a coordinator for
Read 180 (bulk of students).
the whole Nation.
Those who are beyond, and
have a high enough reading
level, are left with the teacher
to do enrichment work.

37. “The objective is not necessarily to teach people to read,
write and do math, but to help our students acquire the
necessary academic and social skills to participate well in
the processes of life.“

38. Challenges
“No one is to blame, But everyone is responsible.”

39. Challenges
To not blame our students or To bring our math programming
parents for lowered in alignment with our reading
achievement, but to find ways programming
to adapt to the attendance
situation we are challenged by To ensure that our overall SEA
project is durable or
To improve attendance sustainable, and will carry on
regardless of personnel
changes
To provide even more
professional development for
new teachers and educational We want our students to
assistants. On-going training become excited about learning,
education and be internally motivated.
Outreach to the Community

40. Conclusion
Program Design is ever-changing to meet the
needs of more of our students. So as we become
more adept at delivering our programs, and as we
follow the research and theory, and acquire new
strategies, the project grows and hopefully
improves.
Questions? Contact:
Merton Palmer

41. Conclusion
Program Design is ever-changing to meet the
needs of more of our students. So as we become
more adept at delivering our programs, and as we
follow the research and theory, and acquire new
strategies, the project grows and hopefully
improves.
“As we go, we learn how to proceed.”
Questions? Contact:
Merton Palmer