Springdale District Guidance: Read-at-Home Plans (Grade 3 Literacy Support)

Goal

To support 3rd-grade students who need extra help with literacy after the ATLAS assessment.

📖Beyond Compliance: Why This Practice Works 📖

Research supports these key practices: 

Stopping the "Summer Slide": Research shows students can lose up to 30% of their learning over the summer. A targeted plan acts as a bridge to the next grade.

Interactive Support: Studies (like the Harvard READS project) show that interactive activities—like the prompts and games found in this plan—are more effective than just asking a child to read alone.

Home Language Literacy: Research confirms that building literacy in a child’s home language actually accelerates their English reading skills and honors the family's role as a partner.

❓Who Needs a 3rd Grade Read-at-Home Plan❓

• A plan is required for all 3rd-grade students who score a Level 1 on ATLAS ELA. This includes students who will be retained in 3rd grade and those who will be promoted with a Good Cause Exemption.

Step 1: Identify Students & Coordinate

After the ATLAS summative, work collaboratively with building administration, instructional facilitators, and special educators to:

• Create a list of all students who scored an ELA 1 in 3rd grade using the ATLAS Reporting Portal.

• Develop a clear communication plan of who will complete each step so all staff are aligned before families are contacted.

Step 2: Review Student Data

Examine the student’s Individual Student Report (ISR) and their Individual Reading Plan (IRP) to determine which specific areas need the most focus. Use your professional judgement and knowledge of the student’s current interventions and specific needs to ensure the plan is targeted and realistic.

Step 3: Set Up, Select Language, & Create Plans

📂School Folder System

• Centralize Records: Use the school folder found within the shared drive that was shared by Melissa Fink with principals for 3rd Grade Promotion to store all Read-at-Home Plans for your school. 

• Access: Ensure the folder is accessible to school administration, 3rd grade classroom teacher and the receiving teacher (added next year).

Determine Home Language

• Ellevation Check: Use your Ellevation dashboard to determine the student’s home communication language.

• Choose Template: Select the English or Spanish template based on this data.

  1. English - Springdale Read-at-Home Template

  2. Spanish - Springdale Read-at-Home Template

Create Individual Student Plans

• Individual Copies: Make a copy of the district template for each student within your schools shared folder.

• File Naming Convention: Name each file: Student Name – Read-at-Home Plan 2026.

• Fill Basics: Input student name, teacher, and grade level on tab 1 "Teacher Fillable Form"

Step 4: Select Focus Skills & Resources

• Select Skills: In the spreadsheet on tab 1 "Teacher Fillable Form", check the skills you want the family to work on based on ISR and IRP.

• Keep it Manageable: Select 1–2 skills per section based on data to ensure the plan is helpful, not overwhelming.

• Yes/No Prompts: Use the automated questions (fluency, comprehension, foundational skills, etc.) to automatically pull in additional QR code links for resources/supports at the bottom of the students Read-at-Home plan.

🖨️Printing 

• Prepare for Families: Print Tab 3: "Read-at-Home Plan" for each student. Ensure the printout is in the family's home language.

• It is also recommended to print and provide a copy of the Individual Score Report (ISR) in conjunction with the Read-at-Home Plan.

• Print a Copy of the Springdale Read-at-Home Plan Cover Letter in the Families Home Communication Language -  Springdale Read-at-Home Cover Letter (doc tabs have translations)  These cover letter have a QR code linked to a Screencastify that provides an explanation of the Read-at-Home plan in English, Spanish, and Marshallese depending on the language of the letter. 

Step 5: Connect with Families

• Flexible Meetings: Meet with families in person or via phone conference to walk through the plan and answer any questions. This meeting can be conducted by the classroom teacher, special education teacher, instructional facilitator, or school administrator. Additional translation support is available through the ESL office. 

  1. The Summer Bridge: This plan provides an opportunity for their child to continue to make progress over the summer and continue to practice the skills they have developed. 

  2. Supplemental Resources: Provide flyers and information for additional summer opportunities, such as community camps, open library days, or local literacy events.

• Future Connection: Inform the family that this plan will be revisited during the following school year to ensure they have an ongoing resource for supporting their child through the year.