At Cold Harbor, our language arts goal is to increase student passion for reading. We seek to accomplish this goal by continuing to develop independent, strategic readers who can think critically when reading text and respond to what they read, both orally and in writing. We foster a love of reading and writing via authentic literacy experiences. Through classroom observations and ongoing assessments, teachers, reading specialists, and administrators can collect information about students’ strengths and areas of growth. This information helps to determine whether they need instructional resources to encourage optimal growth. While we base our literacy instruction on our students’ needs, all instruction encompasses the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and Hanover County expectations.
Mrs. Jessica Dupont, and Mrs. Maricha Handy our core reading specialists, work with students, teachers, and families to help students achieve literacy goals and discover the joy of reading and writing. In addition to working with small groups of students, Mrs. Handy and Mrs. Dupont collaborate with teachers and provide resources and ongoing professional development to support and enrich literacy instruction in the classroom.
For students who struggle to master the learning objectives and need additional support, Mrs. Handy and Mrs. Dupont, as well as our other interventionists, provide supplementary instruction that best meets the needs of the students. Below are some of the intervention options available at Cold Harbor.
Literacy Groups Through SOL Tutors
Our CHES SOL tutor, Kim Patterson is a former elementary school classroom teachers. She works alongside the reading specialists to provide supplemental instruction for students, two to four days a week in the primary grade levels. We focus the instruction on specific skills such as spelling, fluency, or writing.