Lindon literacy program launched

LINDON — When children can't read, the community suffers.

That's the belief that's motivating Kristine Colledge to start a Lindon literacy program, an intensive after-school approach to help children read better.

"I have nieces and nephews and children that have struggled with reading," said Colledge, who lives in Lindon. "I have realized that there's a need for something extra, that the school just doesn't meet the needs of all children every time."

Colledge, a concerned parent who has been involved in PTA for more than 20 years, wants to get the literacy program up and running by the end of October.

She has also recruited the help of literacy specialist Patti Ratliff, a third-grade teacher at Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Lindon.

If the plan is realized, elementary school children could get free, specialized help with basic reading skills at Lindon Elementary School each Tuesday and Thursday after school lets out for the day.

"If we can open a classroom or two, that's a marvelous opportunity to just further their literacy," said Lindon Elementary Principal Jason Theler. "Anything that gets books into the hands of kids."

Focusing on students ranging in age from kindergarten to third grade, Colledge, Ratliff, retired teachers and trained volunteers would tackle reading roadblocks early to prevent later problems.

Using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), a system that uses one-minute fluency measures to check a child's progress in reading, Ratliff said teachers and trained volunteers can easily find where a child is struggling then target it with specific activities.

"There are always children, for one reason or another, that ... need more practice, need more instruction" Ratliff said.

Teachers also will help children improve their vocabulary, comprehension and study skills. It's also vital the children know letters and sounds, so they can move from small words to larger words and even prefixes and suffixes, Ratliff said.

"It's just one more tool that they can have access (to)," Ratliff said. "We just have so many kids and not enough hours in the day. This will just give kids who need (it) that little extra something."

Interested Lindon parents should check with their child's school for more information about the program.