Mrs. Congrove

Hi!  I’m Dianne Congrove, the City Reading Specialist.  Our Scott-Foresman reading material offers a comprehensive language arts curriculum. I am able to support classrooms in grades 3-5 four days a week and grades K-1 on Fridays.

Here is some of the extra reading support in place at Asbury.

Kindergarten and 1st graders who do not meet the benchmark for the fall PALS assessment meet in a small group with our Early Reading Intervention Teacher, Mrs. Bruce. These groups meet five days a week for thirty minutes to reinforce early reading skills, like letter recognition and sounds, sight words, spelling, and concept of word.

A few second grade students have been identified through the fall PALS assessment as needing extra support. These students work on the computer for twenty minutes daily on a program called Unique Reader.  Students have taken an online assessment in the program that places them at their current level in phonics, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension. They work on the Unique Reader computerized program, individualized to their needs four days a week for 20 minutes. I believe in this program and have been happy with the growth I see my students make.

In grades 3-5, I work with two classrooms of each grade three days a week.   Small reading groups (6-8) are determined by test scores and are pulled out of the language arts block for 30 minutes. The weekly skill from the classroom is reinforced, along with practicing test taking strategies and skills.

Grades three through five also receive a whole-group writing lesson each week. I do a lot of modeling, reviewing of the six-step writing process, and help teachers with individual student writing conferences. 

Fridays are set aside for remediation. I work with students from all grades, with any skill at teachers’ requests.

Check out the VDOE website to take a look at released SOL tests. It will help you appreciate how much your student is required to know to perform well on the spring test.

AR Quiz List

dcongrove@sbo.hampton.k12.va.us

 
AR and STAR

I believe in the STAR and AR programs strengthen our wonderful Scott-Foresman language arts curriculum!  STAR helps us match our students to books on the correct reading level.  AR offers a yardstick to show how much and how strong our readers are. 
Although we no longer set required AR goals for student, AR testing is available to all students.
Reading Enrichment

For the avid readers in grade four and five, the public library offers the Battle of the Books program.  It is a competitive format that matches school teams of four with other schools in Newport News, Poquoson, York County and Williamsburg.  A list of 15 required books is issued yearly.  Our mission is to read and remember as much as we can, then compete with other teams in a “That’s Academic” game format.  We read in the fall and winter and the battles are held in March.   I coach the team, and have visited the classrooms to share this program with the students.  If you think your child would be interested, contact me in mid-October.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. 
My voice mail is 848-2270.

Keep ‘em reading!

Battle of the Books
2009/2010

Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Bunnicula by Deborah Howe

Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweller by E.L Konigsburg

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Lord

Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule by Harriette Robinet

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth G. Speare