Elementary schools roll out new literacy program

The Dartmouth Public Schools are starting a new literacy program, the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) to improve literacy.

Catie Paveo presented a slideshow on a new knowledge based program to the Dartmouth Public School Committee on Monday, Oct. 6.

This program is for kindergarten through fifth grade and focuses on building knowledge prior to lessons so that students have an easier time with learning. This is to hopefully help kids have higher literacy comprehension when getting to high school. 

In a study known as “The baseball study,” it was found that kids with prior knowledge on a subject but low reading comprehension tested better on tests on the subject than students who had no knowledge but high reading comprehension. 

In a study conducted by the Department of Public Schools, it was found students with the CKLA model of learning tested higher than those with the standard models of learning. 

Dartmouth will be implementing this by exposing children to grade-level reading by reading aloud to students, using vocabulary during lessons, visual aids and previewing material. Kids will also be encouraged to participate in discussions and ask questions. 

Breaks and days to review the material will be built into the curriculum. These days will have writing exercises surrounding the topics and art projects that capture the topics. 

The topics are connected throughout the grades, with each grade expanding on and learning more about reading and writing. 

Kindergarteners will start by learning about plants, while first graders will learn about animals, second graders more about plants, third graders about the solar system, fourth graders about geology and fifth graders about oceans

There will be tiers defining how teachers teach depending on whether the students understand the material. 

The program  was implemented this school year, with teachers beginning to plan and prepare starting in spring 2024. 

So far, the fifth grade has been having some trouble but Paveo chalks this up to “growing pains” of the program. She said the programs rely on prior knowledge that the fifth graders did not get, and so they are not succeeding as much.