Teachers Pilot Literacy Program

Teachers Pilot Literacy Program

Story by Beth Michaels/ Photo by ThinkStock

There are 41 teachers in schools across the Columbia Union who are piloting the PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) program this school year. PALS consists of three instruments: PALS-Pre-K (for preschool students), PALS-K (for kindergarteners) and PALS 1-3 (for students in grades 1-3). The program assists classroom teachers in ascertaining which students may need additional reading instruction. PALS also provides teachers with detailed information about what their students know regarding literacy fundamentals to help guide their teaching and differentiate instruction.

“I’m excited to see that so many of our teachers are interested in PALS,” says Evelyn M. Sullivan, the union’s associate director for Early Childhood Education and Care. “Teachers have begun online professional development training and will soon begin assessing their students. The data collected during this school year will help us improve overall quality of classroom instruction by using PALS reports to monitor individual student growth over time.”