Professional Development & Consultation Learning, Teaching & Development Policy Development Keyword Search:   Comer Site Med center Site Yale Site     Comer School Development Program 55 College Street New Haven CT, 06510 (203) 737-1020 Tel. (203) 737-1023 Fax			Programs & Services Learning, Teaching & Development     • SDP Essentials of Literacy Process • SDP Balanced Curriculum Process • Teachers Helping Teachers • Child and Adolescent Development SDP Essentials of Literacy Process Essentials of Literacy is an intervention process aimed primarily at developing the literacy skills of students who have been identified by their teachers as "problem readers;" that is, students reading significantly below grade level. This unique intervention process is based on the premise that there are eight essential components of literacy which must be incorporated into a balanced reading program: Story Sense, Vocabulary Development, Book Immersion, Story Writing and Publishing, Letter Sound Correspondence, Reduced Teacher-Student Ratio, Monitoring Progress and Home-to-School Literacy Reinforcement. Consultants from the Learning, Teaching and Development Unit help teachers establish a rich, stimulating environment that takes into account the individual needs and abilities of the students. The program is set in a classroom designated as the Comer Reading Room. Here teachers, parents, other caring adults and volunteer college students receive training and facilitate six workstations. At each of the workstations, students work in groups of four with a facilitator to develop their skills in reading, listening, writing, vocabulary, phonics and technology. Based on thirty years of experience, the SDP has documented the fact that there is a strong association between students’ ability to read and their progress along the SDP’s Six Developmental Pathways (physical, psychological, language, social, ethical and cognitive). Therefore, each workstation in the Comer Reading Room is designed to strengthen students’ progress along these developmental pathways, as well as their literacy skills. The program also helps to build connections between home and school. The Learning, Teaching and Development Unit of the School Development Program helps teachers establish the Essentials of Literacy program by providing the materials, training and consultation service teachers need to be successful. The Essentials of Literacy Process: Can be customized to meet the needs of the individual student Utilizes the school’s existing reading materials Strengthens home-school-community connections Is supported by professional development opportunities Fosters teamwork and collegiality Provides a consultant from the Learning, Teaching and Development Unit of the Comer School Development Program What is a Comer Reading Room? Enter a Comer Reading Room and you will find: A classroom in which students read, write, listen, think, learn and make good decisions for at least ninety minutes every day A classroom that focuses on the development of the whole child, emphasizing not only cognitive development, but physical, psychological, social, ethical and language development A classroom where students experience success on a daily basis and celebrate their success at the end of each week. A classroom in which members of the community help teachers strengthen the literacy skills and overall development of their students. A classroom in which students who are experiencing difficulty with reading learn to become good readers in a highly stimulating and nurturing environment The Leadership Team Leading the Essentials of Literacy team are: Edward T. Murray, Ph.D., Professor of Language Arts at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, SDP Literacy Consultant and developer of the Essentials of Literacy Process. Fay E. Brown, Ph.D., Director of Child and Adolescent Development for the SDP and Associate Research Scientist with the Yale Child Study Center. For more information, see Fay E. Brown, "Turning Nonreaders into Readers Through Essentials of Literacy," in DYNAMIC INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP to Support Student Learning and Development, edited by Edward T. Joyner, Michael Ben-Avie, and James P. Comer (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2004), 177-187. For further information on the SDP Essentials of Literacy Process, contact: Essentials of Literacy School Development Program 55 College Street New Haven, CT 06510 Phone: 203.737.1020 Fax: 203.737.1023 E-mail: schooldevelopmentprogram@yale.edu
			Copyright © 2001 School Development Program, Yale Child Study Center. All rights reserved. Comments or suggestions to the site editor. Photos from the book "Child by Child: The Comer Process for Change in Education," are by Michael Jacobson-Hardy and Laura Brooks. Used by permission of Teachers College Press. Home URL: http://www.schooldevelopmentprogram.org/ Last modified: July 2004 (GM)