The Durham DLC document summarizes initiatives at Durham DLC to reduce achievement gaps for students of color in early education. It focuses on explicitly teaching reading and writing skills in kindergarten and first grade through small group instruction, interventions, and extended learning opportunities that emphasize active engagement, practice, and using technology like iPads. These methods are aimed at building literacy skills like phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension to support stronger academic performance in later years.

1. Durham DLC

2. Our Mission
Explicitly focusing on reducing the achievement gap in
reading and writing in students’ first years of formal
education will result in stronger academic outcomes for
students of color in successive years.

3. OurTeam
 Kindergarten
 Leslie Kolb
 KatieToppel
 Brittany McLean
 Amber Duncan
 First Grade
 Ronna Marx
Approaching Reading Level
 Title 1
 Sheri LeDrew

4. Early Development of Writing Skills

5. Active Engagement and Repetitive Practice
10 active responses 250 active responses
In one phonics lesson…
vs.

6. Independent Practice in
Phonemic Awareness Activities

7. Writing…an overwhelming task for young
learners
Record their story
Listen to their story
Write their story

8. Many opportunities for writing and creating

9. Kindergarten Interventions ~
Have become paperless
Small Group
Guided Instruction
Customizable Instruction
The ipads have been used
at grade levels 2-5 this year.
We did not use at 1st grade
due to the ECRI project.
.
We pre-teach
and/or
re-teach
lessons during
interventions
We use stylus app
crayons and beginning
keyboarding skills. (At
the beginning of the
year some students
used their finger as
well.)

10. Extended Day Opportunities
Correct letter
formation Time Efficient Beginning writing
Story mapping
Author and Illustrator!

11. In the past we were able to read approximately 130 stories
during the school year extended day program, one a day and have a
short discussion with limited interaction. This year, with iPads in
the reading intervention program, kindergarten students are able to
spend that 25 minutes actively engaged in activities that enhance
intervention lessons along with individualized and repetitive practice
that build literacy skills
Active Engagement!
. This year we read
approximately 30 stories (one a
week) along with the stories we
have provided active engagement
learning enhancements showing
that students are actively
participating in the learning
process! The time is not just
“teacher talking” and “student
listening,” It has become
asking, answering, sharing
information and spurring on
constant learning!

12. First Grade
The Big 5
• phonetic awareness
• phonics
• fluency
• vocabulary
• comprehension

13. Phonics and word work help build
the bridge to reading and writing.

14. Enriched Vocabulary

15. ibooks
Connecting
phonics and
vocabulary to
reading to
build
confidence.

16. Creating motivation to read.

17. Quickvoice helps students
hear themselves read and
self correct.
Other students can listen to
the story and read along
until they become fluent in
the reading of the story.

18. writing

19. Creating
graphic
organizers to
promote a
higher level of
fiction and
non-fiction
writing pieces
in Story Kit.
Popplet

20. Assessment