Pictured left to right: Alexander Terrazas, Hayden Galvan,
Josue Gonzalez, Thania Casillas, Samai Gonzalez, Alondra Muro.
SAN ELIZARIO, TEXAS – The commitment, exhilaration, and progress with I-Station Reading. With the changing demands of literacy in our world, reading has quickly become an essential component of every person's life. Reading in the real-world entails focusing on meaning and techniques to share and transform texts. Since 2017, the San Elizario Independent School District (SEISD) students in grades Prekindergarten through 8th grade have actively engaged in I-Station Reading.
Powered by the science of reading, I-Station is an award-winning, comprehensive e-learning program used by more than four million students and educators worldwide. "Research shows that reading skills at 3rd grade predict how well students will do in 8th grade, which is also a predictor for high school success," said Victoria Locke, Director of Research at I-Station. Locke further explains that students who are not reading well in 3rd grade are more likely to drop out of high school, while students reading above grade level in 3rd grade are more likely to enroll in college. These eye-opening statistics help us see why it is essential to develop readers at such an early age.
Students are assessed monthly with an engaging computer-adaptive assessment. Based on their results, learners are placed in interactive online instruction at their level. Teachers can then access instant reports to monitor student progress. They are then directed to specific skills-based, small-group lessons for targeted reading intervention. Here at San Elizario ISD, we believe in empowering our students to understand their I-Station results. It's not enough for a student to know that they need help in reading; students should know specifically which reading area is an opportunity for further development. Therefore, each student in PK-8 has their own Student Data Tracker to monitor their progress from month to month. This process helps equip, energize, and empower our students when they see progress and puts them in the driver's seat of their learning targets. In addition, teachers work in collaboration with students to establish goals for improvement.
The key to setting goals is to make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. This approach to goal setting is called the SMART approach, and it ensures that goals are clear and attainable. Matthew Arzate, a 5th grader at Alarcon Elementary, says, "Setting goals in I-Station makes me better at my fluency and reading skills. It motivates me to reach my goals and push myself never to give up." In September 2021, Sambrano Elementary was one of I-Station's #RedCapeCelebrates contest winners. The campus will receive a classroom set of red capes for their commitment to program use and student growth. Assistant Principal Sandra Rico stated, "I-Station is one of my favorite online programs because of its customized lessons and best practices approach. Students at Sambrano Elementary enjoy using I-Station, and the results are evident. I-Station use is more than an expectation as students and teachers alike see its benefits."
