Shooting for the Stars with Cardinal's Reading Programs

posted July 1, 2022

Did you know that Cardinal Community School District has reading tutors available for students who are struggling with literacy?

Thanks to yearly grants, training through the Reading Corps and funding from United Way of Wapello County, we can offer one-on-one lessons for our students who need extra help.

Reading Corp trains tutors to use research-based interventions that help students with different skills like letter sounds, blending and fluency. Throughout the year, the tutors work with coaches to ensure they always provide the best lessons for our students.

“We have had great internal coaches during all of our years working with Reading Corp. The program is very systematic and user-friendly for everyone involved,” shared Stefany Snyder, Cardinal instructional coach. 

Students are enrolled in the program based on their At-Risk Literacy Status. Students who score below “Proficient” on our state reading assessment are eligible. 

“The reading intervention teachers look at student scores after each assessment and then students are placed in either Title Reading or with a Reading Corp Tutor based on their specific needs,” Ms. Snyder said. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, our four tutors served 58 students each day with individual 20-minute lessons.

Throughout the year, 17 students improved their skills enough to leave the program (giving their spot to another student in need). By the end of the year, 88% of students in the program saw increases in their reading assessment scores. We can’t wait to see what we can do this coming year!

If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to Ms. Snyder at stefany.snyder@cardinalcomet.com.

Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills This Summer

Ms. Snyder shares some reading tips for the summer break that work all year round!

• Read and/or listen to books at home!
• Practice spelling patterns and sight words found in those passages and books
• Check out your local libraries!