Reading is FAME Makes Reading Fun  by Becky Gasaway and Miranda Mundy Heritage Hills Middle School

 

     Heritage Hills Middle School has recently initiated an exciting reading program entitled Reading Is FAME.  We participated in two days of extensive training last spring with a specialist from Girls and Boys Town.  The reading program focuses on increasing word recognition and reading fluency, improving spelling skills and vocabulary, and increasing self-confidence in reading.  Reading Is FAME consists of four semester courses geared towards a specific reading ability.  We were trained in Foundations and Adventures.  The classes incorporate weekly word lists, daily oral reading, short assignments, computer programs, and word games. 

      Last semester was the first opportunity for the Foundations and Adventures classes to be taught at Heritage Hills Middle School.  There were 20 eighth grade students chosen to participate in the program.  The students were selected according to their reading

levels indicated on their sixth grade ISTEP results.  The ten students that were in

Foundations had reading levels below the fourth grade, and the students in the Adventures course had reading levels between the fourth and sixth grades. 

      The results for each class were impressive.  In the Foundations course, the students made great strides with their reading skills.  The class average for phonetic analysis went from the grade level of 1.7 to 2.6.  The average for the spelling tests increased from 23 to 42 percent.  The effective reading speed increased from 45 to 63 in the low reading level section, increased from 50 to 64 in the middle section, and increased from 48 to 65 in the high section. 

      In the Adventures course, gains were equally evident.  The course vocabulary scores increased from 62 to 92 percent.  The effective reading speed increased from 100 to 110 in the low reading level section, 130 to 148 in the middle section, and 157 to 179 in the high section.  The average for phonetic analysis went from the grade level of 4.5 to 4.8, and the auditory vocabulary improved from 5.3 to 6.6.

      This spring semester there are 20 seventh grade students participating in the two courses.  It is highly anticipated that we will see results comparable to the fall semester.  Reading Is FAME has been a worthwhile program with obvious benefits and rewards.  The fall semester students completed a survey depicting their views of the courses.  The general consensus was extremely positive.  One student said, “This class has helped me to become a better reader, and it has helped me improve my vocabulary.”  Another student stated, “I can now read a lot better in other classes, and I can also understand my tests better.  I can read faster, and I can read more words than I used to.”

      We hope to continue implementing the Reading Is FAME Program in the future.  By building stronger readers, we are encouraging productivity among students.  This program will allow the students to carry these reading skills with them throughout their school careers and for the rest of their lives. 

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