Reading First

CCCS was awarded a 3-year Reading First grant in 2004 and a 3-year renewal in 2007. The Reading First program focused on applying scientifically-based reading research—and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research—to ensure that all children are proficient in reading by the end of third grade.

The CCCS Reading First Program dramatically increased the percentage of students reading at or above the proficient level by:

• Implementing “Reading Mastery” curriculum as a coherent, scientifically based core reading program for grades K to 3
• Providing supplemental reading instruction through the Children's Literacy Initiative components: Read Aloud, Special Focus Book Collections, and Writing Seminars
• Offering Fast ForWord as an intervention for students who needed intensive phonemic awareness instruction to build fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
• Implementing a comprehensive system to assess students’ phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension for purposes of screening, progress monitoring, diagnosis, and outcomes evaluation
• Supplying support material for each instructional program, and
• Conducting Professional Development to build teacher mastery in the aforementioned principals.