Early Literacy Support
How our UCC Schools will ensure all our students are on the path to reading proficiency, and in compliance with Wisconsin's Act 20 law.
What is Act 20?
Wisconsin’s Act 20 was designed to enhance reading proficiency among students in grades 4K-3. The goal is to ensure that all children are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Recognizing the critical importance of early literacy, this act implements specific measures to support our students in achieving this goal.
All students in K4-3rd grade will participate in an early literacy (reading) assessment 2-3 times a year, starting in January of 2025
UCC Schools: Ahead of the Game and in Compliance with Act 20!
At UCC we are excited to implement these new strategies aligned with Act 20 to support our students literacy skills, and are proud to know that our schools have been putting many of these strategies in place for years.
Highly qualified and trained teachers
All of our teachers will be receiving intensive training on science-based early literacy practices to best support our learners
Daily grade level instruction using high quality curriculum materials
Our core curriculum programs provide science-based reading instruction that is systematic and explicit
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into-Reading Core Curriculum
Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum
UFLI Literacy Curriculum
LEXIA Core 5 Reading Digital Program
Measuring reading progress regularly
All students reading skills are assessed 2-3 times a year using aimswebPLUS, as well as other formative and summative assessments
aimswebPLUS Early Literacy and Reading screening and progress monitoring tools
Providing targeted small group instruction
All of our teachers provide small group instruction to students in the classroom environment
Providing additional support when needed
Personal reading plans are generated for students who need this added support
Reading interventions will be performed by classroom teacher or intervention staff for students that continue to struggle
Partnering with families and the community
Our teachers will keep you informed of your child's reading progress throughout the year
You will receive notifications of your child's performance on reading assessments
What happens if a students scores low on the literacy assessment?
As part of Act 20, all K4-3rd grade students will receive 2-3 literacy assessments each school year. If a child does not score as well as or better than 25% of all students who took the test nationally on the early literacy screener, there are a series of next steps required for your child:
An additional diagnostic reading assessment will be performed to identify your child's specific reading challenges
A personalized reading plan will be developed to support your child's growth and development in reading
Student progress in reading will be monitored to ensure they are improving their skills
Students will "complete" their personal reading plan when the school and parent agrees that the child has met all their goals, and is performing on grade-level (above the 25th percentile) on the next reading assessment.
What happens if my child is still not performing at grade-level by the end of the year?
Students will be REQUIRED to attend everyday of our 19 day summer school program
Our school staff will determine if your child has made adequate progress to be promoted to the next grade level
If students do not make adequate progress, are continuing to perform below the 25th percentile in reading, may be considered for retention and repeating their current grade level. This will be a discussion with the family, teacher, and school administration to determine what is in the best interest of the child.
How is my child promoted to the next grade level?
Students are expected to be performing at grade level and having scored above the 25th percentile on the yearly reading assessment
If students are unable to make adequate progress and meet these goals, they will be considered for retention.
Act 20 requires all students to be proficient in reading (scoring above the 25th percentile) by the end of 4th grade
Key Requirements of Act 20
Early Literacy Screening: Schools are required to conduct screenings for early literacy skills in the early elementary grades. This helps us identify students who may need additional support early in their educational journey.
Personalized Reading Plans: For students who demonstrate reading difficulties, schools are required to develop a Personalized Reading Plan (PRP). This plan will include specific goals, strategies, and interventions tailored to meet each child's unique needs. It is a collaborative effort involving teachers, parents, and, of course, the students themselves.
Regular Progress Monitoring: The act mandates regular progress monitoring to track the effectiveness of interventions and adjust them as necessary. This ensures that each student receives the support they need to improve their reading skills.
Family Involvement: Act 20 emphasizes the importance of family engagement in a child’s literacy development. Schools will provide resources and strategies for parents to support reading at home, fostering a strong home-school connection.
Professional Development for Educators: To implement these requirements effectively, educators will receive training on best practices in literacy instruction and intervention strategies. This professional development ensures that our teachers are equipped with the latest tools and knowledge to support our students.
What This Means for You as a Parent or Guardian
As parents and guardians, your involvement is crucial in this process. Here are some ways you can support your child’s reading journey:
Encourage Reading at Home: Make reading a daily habit. Share books that interest your child and discuss the stories together.
Stay Informed: Watch for updates from your child’s teacher regarding their reading progress and any Personalized Reading Plans.
Participate in School Activities: Join literacy events and workshops offered by the school to learn more about how to support your child’s reading development.
We are committed to ensuring that every child in our school has the tools they need to succeed in reading and beyond. If you have any questions about Act 20 or how it impacts your child’s education, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering a love for reading in our children!
Act 20 at UCC Schools
Our teachers and staff are dedicated to continuously improving literacy practices. Act 20 provides an opportunity for us to fine-tune our strategies and timelines, helping us to better meet the needs of all students. Act 20 highlights the importance of a collaborative approach, involving families, educators and community members in supporting our students’ literacy development.
Act 20 Initial Letter ENGLISH January 2025.pdfAct 20 Initial Letter SPANISH January 2025.pdfHow will families get reading information?
Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, schools must provide the following within 15 days after scoring the assessment:
The child’s score and scores in each literacy skill category.
The child's percentile rank, if available.
Definition of “at-risk” and what score indicates this status.
Plain language explanation of what the assessment measures.
If a child advances to 4th grade without completing their personal reading plan, parents will be notified about the ongoing interventions.
Do Parents Need to Acknowledge Receipt of Notifications?
Yes, parents must sign and return the personal reading plan to the school. This is a notification, not a consent form.
Additional Information for At-Risk Students
If a diagnostic assessment shows a child is at risk, schools will provide information and details about:
How to make a special education referral.
Dyslexia and its characteristics.
Interventions and accommodations for dyslexia.
Is my child on track and a proficient reader?
Review the document below to see the grade level expectations outlined for all of our students
How Can I Help My Child at Home?
Literacy Skill Specific Strategies to Support Students at Home
1. Phonemic Awareness: Building Sound Awareness
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken words. Here are some fun ways to strengthen your child's sound awareness:
Sound Games: Play “I Spy” but with sounds. For example, “I spy something that starts with /m/.” This helps your child tune into beginning sounds.
Syllable Clapping: Choose words and have your child clap out the syllables. For example, “table” has two syllables, so your child would clap twice.
Segmenting Sounds: Say a word like "cat" and ask your child to break it into individual sounds—/k/, /a/, /t/. You can make this fun by using small toys or blocks, with each sound getting its own block.
2. Phonics: Connecting Sounds to Letters
Phonics involves connecting letters to the sounds they make. Here are some engaging ways to practice phonics:
Letter Hunt: Use magnetic letters on the fridge. Say a sound, like /b/, and ask your child to find the letter that makes that sound.
Word Building: Give your child a set of letter cards and ask them to build simple words like “hat,” “dog,” or “sun.” You can start with shorter, 3-letter words (CVC words) and increase difficulty as they improve.
Phonics Stories: After reading a simple book together, point out specific words and talk about the letter-sound relationships. For example, “Look at the word ‘bat.’ What sound does the ‘b’ make? What about the ‘t’?”
3. Fluency: Reading Smoothly and with Expression
Fluency helps children read quickly and accurately while also understanding what they are reading. Try these ideas to build fluency:
Echo Reading: Read a sentence or passage aloud and then have your child “echo” it back to you, matching your pace and expression. This helps them learn how fluent reading sounds.
Re-read Favorite Books: Encourage your child to read their favorite books multiple times. Familiarity with the text helps improve reading speed and accuracy.
Read and Record: Have your child read a passage aloud while you record them on a phone or tablet. Then, play it back so they can listen to their own reading and make improvements.
4. Vocabulary: Building Word Knowledge
A strong vocabulary is essential for comprehension. Here are a few easy ways to expand your child’s vocabulary at home:
Word of the Day: Introduce a new word every day and use it in sentences throughout the day. For example, if the word is “gigantic,” use it during meals, playtime, or while talking about the weather.
Categorize Words: Choose a category, like animals or foods, and take turns naming words that fit in that category. Then, talk about what the words mean and how they are similar or different.
Context Clues: When reading together, if you come across an unfamiliar word, ask your child to look for clues in the text to figure out its meaning. For example, “The gigantic tree stood taller than all the others.” Ask, “What do you think ‘gigantic’ means based on the sentence?”
5. Comprehension: Understanding What We Read
Comprehension is all about understanding and connecting with the text. Here are some ideas to boost comprehension:
Ask Questions: While reading, ask questions that prompt your child to think about the story. For example, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character is feeling sad?”
Retell the Story: After finishing a book, have your child retell the story in their own words. You can make it even more fun by encouraging them to act it out or draw pictures of the story.
Make Connections: Encourage your child to connect the story to their own life. For example, if a character goes to the beach, ask your child, “Have you ever been to the beach? What did you do there?”
Additional Resources
Here are some additional tools to support your child’s literacy development:
Reading Rockets: This website offers many helpful articles, videos, and tips on how to support your child's literacy journey. You can visit their website at www.readingrockets.org.
Library Visits: Regular visits to the library can spark a love for reading. Let your child choose books that interest them and read them together. Find your local library here: https://www.mpl.org/hours_locations/
Estrategias específicas de alfabetización para apoyar a los alumnos en casa
1. Conciencia fonémica: Crear conciencia de los sonidos
La conciencia fonémica es la capacidad de oír, identificar y manipular los sonidos de las palabras habladas. He aquí algunas formas divertidas de reforzar la conciencia fonémica de su hijo:
Juegos de sonidos: Juega al "veo veo" pero con sonidos. Por ejemplo: "Veo algo que empieza por /m/". Esto ayuda a su hijo a sintonizar con los sonidos iniciales.
Aplaudir sílabas: Elija palabras y haga que su hijo aplauda las sílabas. Por ejemplo, "mesa" tiene dos sílabas, así que su hijo aplaudirá dos veces.
Segmentar sonidos: Diga una palabra como "gato" y pídale que la descomponga en sonidos individuales: /k/, /a/, /t/. Puede hacer que esto sea divertido utilizando pequeños juguetes o bloques, y que cada sonido tenga su propio bloque.
2. Fonética: Relacionar los sonidos con las letras
La fonética consiste en relacionar las letras con los sonidos que producen. He aquí algunas formas atractivas de practicar la fonética:
Caza de letras: Utiliza letras imantadas en la nevera. Diga un sonido, como /b/, y pida a su hijo que encuentre la letra que hace ese sonido.
Construir palabras: Dale a tu hijo un juego de tarjetas con letras y pídele que construya palabras sencillas como "sombrero", "perro" o "sol". Puedes empezar con palabras más cortas, de 3 letras (palabras CVC) e ir aumentando la dificultad a medida que vayan mejorando.
Cuentos fonéticos: Después de leer juntos un libro sencillo, señale palabras concretas y hable de las relaciones entre letras y sonidos. Por ejemplo: "Mira la palabra 'murciélago'. ¿Qué sonido hace la 'b'? ¿Y la 't'?".
3. Fluidez: Leer con fluidez y expresión
La fluidez ayuda a los niños a leer con rapidez y precisión, al tiempo que comprenden lo que leen. Pruebe estas ideas para desarrollar la fluidez:
Lectura de eco: Lea una frase o un pasaje en voz alta y pídale a su hijo que se lo repita, imitando su ritmo y expresión. Así aprenderá a leer con fluidez.
Vuelva a leer sus libros favoritos: Anime a su hijo a leer sus libros favoritos varias veces. La familiaridad con el texto ayuda a mejorar la velocidad y la precisión de la lectura.
Leer y grabar: Haga que su hijo lea un pasaje en voz alta mientras usted le graba en un teléfono o tableta. Luego, reprodúzcalo para que pueda escuchar su propia lectura y hacer mejoras.
4. Vocabulario: Construir el conocimiento de las palabras
Un buen vocabulario es esencial para la comprensión. He aquí algunas formas sencillas de ampliar el vocabulario de su hijo en casa:
Palabra del día: Introduzca una palabra nueva cada día y utilícela en frases a lo largo del día. Por ejemplo, si la palabra es "gigantesco", utilícela durante las comidas, el recreo o mientras habla del tiempo.
Clasificar palabras: Elige una categoría, como animales o alimentos, y nombra por turnos palabras que pertenezcan a esa categoría. Después, hablen de lo que significan las palabras y de en qué se parecen o en qué se diferencian.
Pistas contextuales: Cuando lean juntos, si se encuentra con una palabra desconocida, pídale a su hijo que busque pistas en el texto para averiguar su significado. Por ejemplo: "El árbol gigantesco era más alto que todos los demás". Pregunte: "¿Qué crees que significa 'gigantesco' basándote en la frase?".
5. Comprensión: Comprender lo que leemos
La comprensión consiste en entender el texto y conectar con él. He aquí algunas ideas para potenciar la comprensión:
Haga preguntas: Mientras lee, haga preguntas que inciten a su hijo a pensar sobre la historia. Por ejemplo: "¿Qué crees que pasará después?" o "¿Por qué crees que el personaje se siente triste?".
Volver a contar la historia: Cuando termine de leer un libro, pídale a su hijo que vuelva a contar la historia con sus propias palabras. Puede hacerlo aún más divertido animándole a que lo represente o a que haga dibujos de la historia.
Establezca conexiones: Anime a su hijo a relacionar la historia con su propia vida. Por ejemplo, si un personaje va a la playa, pregúntele: "¿Has estado alguna vez en la playa? ¿Qué hiciste allí?".
Recursos adicionales
A continuación encontrará algunas herramientas adicionales para apoyar el desarrollo de la alfabetización de su hijo:
Reading Rockets: Este sitio web ofrece muchos artículos útiles, vídeos y consejos sobre cómo apoyar el viaje de alfabetización de su hijo. Puede visitar su página web en www.readingrockets.org.
Visitas a la biblioteca: Las visitas regulares a la biblioteca pueden despertar el amor por la lectura. Deje que su hijo elija los libros que le interesan y léanlos juntos. Encuentre su biblioteca local aquí: https://www.mpl.org/hours_locations/
Grade Level Specific Strategies to Support Students with Reading at Home
Kindergarten : Ways to Help Your Child
Listen to your child read his/her books and read TO your child daily.
Be patient and praise with enthusiasm!
Encourage your child to “slide through” a word with his/her finger under it, saying the sounds of the letters or parts slowly.
If your child is stuck on a word, you can say:
“What can you try?” or
“Slide through the word with your finger under it, saying the sounds of the letters or parts slowly.”
Discuss the important information in the story.
Grade 1: Ways to Help Your Child
Build in 40 minutes (or more) of reading time per day. Your child can read a short book, then listen to a read aloud or picture book with someone else
Encourage your child to make predictions
After reading, have your child retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story
Point out a new or challenging word, give him/her a kid-friendly definition
When your student comes to a word he/she isn’t sure of:
Wait
Prompt him/her to “say the sounds and blend them together”
Ask him/her to break up the word into chunks or syllables
Prompt him/her to “try a different sound”
Prompt him/her to cover the ending or tricky part
Grade 2: Ways to Help Your Child
Build in 50 minutes (or more) of reading time per day. Your child can read a short book, then listen to a read aloud or picture book with someone else
Encourage your child to make predictions
After reading, have your child retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story
Point out a new or challenging word, give him/her a kid-friendly definition
When your student comes to a word he/she isn’t sure of:
Wait
Prompt him/her to “say the sounds and blend”
Ask him/her to break up the word into chunks or syllables
Prompt him/her to “try a different sound”
Prompt him/her to cover the ending or tricky part
Grade 3: Ways to Help Your Child
Build in 60 minutes (or more) of reading time per day.
Encourage your child to make predictions
After reading, have your child retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story or what they have learned
Point out a new or challenging word, give him/her a kid-friendly definition
When your student comes to a word he/she isn’t sure of:
Wait
Prompt him/her to “say the sounds and blend”
Ask him/her to break up the word into chunks or syllables
Prompt him/her to “try a different sound”
Prompt him/her to cover the ending or tricky part
Estrategias específicas de cada grado para ayudar a los alumnos a leer en casa
Kindergarten : Maneras de ayudar a su hijo/a
Escuche a su hijo leer sus libros y léale a su hijo a diario.
Sea paciente y elógielo con entusiasmo.
Anime a su hijo a "deslizarse" por una palabra con el dedo debajo de ella, diciendo lentamente los sonidos de las letras o partes.
Si su hijo se queda atascado en una palabra, puede decirle:
"¿Qué puedes intentar?" o
"Deslízate por la palabra con el dedo por debajo, diciendo despacio los sonidos de las letras o partes".
Discutir la información importante del cuento.
Primer curso: Formas de ayudar a su hijo
Dedique 40 minutos (o más) al día a la lectura. Su hijo puede leer un libro corto y luego escuchar una lectura en voz alta o un libro ilustrado con otra persona.
Anime a su hijo a hacer predicciones
Después de leer, pídale que vuelva a contar el principio, el medio y el final de la historia.
Señale una palabra nueva o difícil y déle una definición adecuada para niños.
Cuando el alumno llegue a una palabra de la que no esté seguro:
Espere
Pídale que "diga los sonidos y los mezcle".
Pedirle que divida la palabra en trozos o sílabas
Pídale que "pruebe un sonido diferente".
Pídale que cubra el final o la parte difícil
Segundo curso: cómo ayudar a su hijo
Dedique 50 minutos (o más) al día a la lectura. Su hijo puede leer un libro corto y luego escuchar una lectura en voz alta o un libro ilustrado con otra persona.
Anime a su hijo a hacer predicciones
Después de leer, pídale que vuelva a contar el principio, el medio y el final de la historia.
Señale una palabra nueva o difícil y déle una definición adecuada para niños.
Cuando el alumno llegue a una palabra de la que no esté seguro:
Espere
Pídale que "diga los sonidos y los combine".
Pedirle que divida la palabra en trozos o sílabas.
Pídale que "pruebe un sonido diferente".
Pídale que cubra el final o la parte difícil
Tercer curso: Formas de ayudar a su hijo
Dedique 60 minutos (o más) al día a la lectura.
Anime a su hijo a hacer predicciones
Después de leer, pídale que vuelva a contar el principio, el nudo y el desenlace de la historia o lo que ha aprendido.
Señala una palabra nueva o difícil y dale una definición para niños.
Cuando el alumno llegue a una palabra de la que no esté seguro:
Espere
Pídale que "diga los sonidos y los combine".
Pedirle que divida la palabra en trozos o sílabas.
Pídale que "pruebe un sonido diferente".
Pídale que cubra el final o la parte difícil