What Is S.T.R.I.P.E. ? S – Students andT - teachersR – ReadingI – InstructionP – ProvidingE – ExcellenceAll kindergarten through third graders are involved in the S.T.R.I.P.E. reading program. The Title I reading teacher and two reading assistants work together with classroom teachers to divide each class into small groups so that the children have an opportunity to read books on their independent reading level. This means that children who struggle with reading read books that are easier and children who are advanced readers have the chance to read more challenging books and do related activities. The staff uses achievement test scores as well as past reading grades to determine each child’s particular group assignment. The children can change groups during the year if they begin to struggle with reading or become a better reader. All of the groups from a classroom meet at the same time, so no one is pulled out of class or misses another subject.Children who are reading 6 months or more below grade level, have not done well on district tests, or are earning a low grade in reading because they have trouble sounding out words and remembering what they have read are selected to be in the Title I reading group with the Title I teacher, Mrs. Schulthes. What Does My Child Do As Part Of S.T.R.I.P.E or Title I ? Kindergarteners – learn the names of letters, their sounds, and how to put sounds together to make words First Grade – review letters and sounds, learn sight words, read books at their ability level, learn how to sound out words Second Grade – learn new word wall words, work on how to sound out words, read books at their ability level. Third Grade – focus on reading skills such as predicting what will happen, finding the main idea, and remembering details from the story as well as reviewing how to sound out words. By third grade, most groups are reading chapter books. If your child is in Title I, Mrs. Schulthes is his/her teacher and they learn the same skills the other S.T.R.I.P.E. groups are learning, but more time is spent on how to read and how to remember what they have read. They really work on sounding out words and learning how to use them in a sentence. First and second graders are also tested on how well they can read the word wall words for their grade. The children are not pulled out of a class, but meet when the other S.T.R.I.P.E. groups meet.