Literacy First:

    Literacy First is a comprehensive model for literacy instruction. Teachers participate in five days of professional development training during the first year and three additional days of training during the second year. These professional development trainings are called Phase I and Phase II. Training relating to effective leadership for instruction is also provided for site principals and directors.

    A strong emphasis is given to the development of instructional schedules that devote a significant block of time to literacy instruction. The professional development activities guide teachers in using whole group lessons to develop students' vocabulary skills, oral language skills, and to engage students in meaningful discussion in partner shares. The emphasis is to keep students actively involved in manipulating the content of the lesson objective. Teachers are also trained to use flexible skill groups for systematic explicit reading instruction, focusing on the areas of mechanics of reading, phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, advanced decoding, comprehension, and strategic reading skills.

    Formative assessments drive daily reading instruction. Teachers assess students on a regular basis to ensure that instruction is guiding students to overcome deficits and to verify that students are accomplishing the reading objectives. The assessments utilized in the Literacy First Process help teachers identify the specific learning needs of each student.

    The Literacy First Process for instruction closely follows the requirements of the Oklahoma Reading Sufficiency Act. Ongoing assessments in phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, and fluency guide instruction that is based on each student's level of reading skills.

    The Literacy First Process is not a program and does not require the use of any specific instructional materials. It is a professional development process that teaches teachers how to utilize the best research-based instructional practices to improve students' reading skills. A variety of reading texts, including fiction and nonfiction, are used to teach the learning objectives at each grade level.