Sara Hernandez
Reading First Coordinator
(956) 473-2019
sarah@uisd.net

United Independent School District Reading First serves 9 campuses: Arndt Elementary, Centeno Elementary, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary, Kennedy-Zapata Elementary, Perez Elementary, Prada Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, United DD Hachar Elementary, J. Zaffirini Elementary.

Each campus has a local campus coach they serve as a link to K-3 teachers and students. They are responsible for overseeing classroom implementation of the district’s Reading First Plan (TEA website).

Program Overview

This program focuses on putting proven methods of early reading instruction in classrooms. Through Reading First, states and districts receive support to apply scientifically based reading research – and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research – to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade. The program provides formula grants to states that submit an approved application. SEAs award subgrants to eligible LEAs on a competitive basis. SEAs fund those proposals that show the most promise for raising student achievement and for successful implementation of reading instruction, particularly at the classroom level.
Source: Guide to US Department of Education Programs

Parent Information

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established the Reading First Program to address the fact that large numbers of our nation’s students do not develop the reading skills necessary to be successful in school. Reading First is a major federal initiative that builds on years of scientific research in reading to ensure that all children can read at or above grade level by the end of third grade.

Reading First is predicated on research findings that high-quality reading instruction in primary grades significantly reduces the number of students who experience difficulties in later years. The program’s overarching goal is to improve the quality of reading instruction and thereby improve the reading skills and achievement of children in the primary grades. The Reading First program provides substantial resources at both the state and local levels:

• to ensure that research-based reading programs and materials are used to teach students in kindergarten through third grade;
• to increase access to and quality of professional development of all teachers who teacher K-3 students, including special education teachers, to ensure that they have the skills necessary to teach these reading programs effectively; and
• to help prepare classroom teachers to screen, identify, and overcome barriers to students’ ability to read on grade level by the end of third grade.

More specifically, the programs and the professional development provided to school staff must use reading instructional methods and materials that incorporate the five essential elements of effective primary-grade reading instruction, as specified in the legislation. The National Reading Panel also revealed that the most reliably effective approach of these essential elements is called “systematic and explicit” instruction. Systematic means that important skills and strategies are taught in a planned, logically progressive sequence. Explicit instruction means the teacher states clearly what is being taught and models effectively how it is used by a skilled reader.

Five Essential Components of Reading

Phonemic Awareness: The understanding that spoken words are made up of separate units of sound that are blended together when words are pronounced.

Phonics: The understanding that there is a predictable relationship between the sounds of spoken language, and the letters and spellings that represent those sounds in written language.

Fluency: The ability to read accurately and quickly. It provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. Fluent readers recognize words and comprehend at the same time.

Vocabulary Development: The ability to store information about the meanings and pronunciation of words necessary for communication.

Comprehension: The final goal of reading instruction. It involves constructing meaning that is reasonable and accurate by connecting what has been read to what the reader already knows and thinking about all of this information until it is understood.