Teaching Of Reading Gets New Emphasis In Local Schools

If Johnnie and Janie aren't learning to read, Harold Fillyaw, director of reading staff development for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, is going to know why. Fillyaw, former interim principal at Mack Elementary School, was appointed to the newly created post in July. 'This is the first time the administration has pinpointed the teaching of reading as a full-time responsibility," says Supt. R. Bruce McPherson. The Board of Education and McPherson have indicated at board meetings that the teaching of reading is a number one priority of the schools. Fillyaw presented his design for the Reading Staff Development Program to the school district's Administrative Council recently. The purpose of the program, as stated to the council, is "to help each teacher become accountable for more successful experiences in ' ing for the learner in his classroom." Fillyaw adds most of the supportive assistance for reading will be done through in-service training and staff development sessions held at the new Reading Studio Center AZ. ' I i To be located at the administration building, 2555 S. State, the Reading Studio Center will be Fillyaw's headquarters. He will share the center with the multi-ethnic program and the instructional media center. "We'll be using a team type approach," Fillyaw says, "to develop some meaningful programs to help kids with reading difficulties." Fillyaw says reading programs for individual schools will be based on assessments made of the students' weaknesses and strengths in readi n g through inventory tests and informal surveys. "We're going to move back into testing in the a r e a of reading," McPherson says. The superintendent adds the tests will be screened to insure they are unbiased. "My staff will mainly be working on developing programs that can help teachers in the building," Fillyaw says. His staff includes himself and two reading consultants, Doris Green and Enid Huelsberg. Mrs. Huelsberg is currentlyl attending the President's 1 cil On he Right To Read in I Washington, D . C . , Fillyaw says, to become acquainted I with new ideas and materials in the field of reading. The reading consultants will develop workshops and information packets for teachers to keep them informed of new developments in the field. Fillyaw says the reading staff will conduct in-service training for teachers to help them to diagnose and correct reading difficulties and to demónstrate lessons to correct problems. Televisión monitors and video taping equipment will be used to tape short training sessions and classroom demonstrations. Consultants will be available to field questions such as how to motívate slow learners, what reading materials interest boys and how to handle certain reading difficulties. On the local school level, Fillyaw proposes a team of three persons at each school establish a reading center at the school as well as be available to help students with reading difficulties. The reading centers are to be equipped to help students with reading problems and also to encourage recreational and exploratory reading. The reading director would like to see the neighborhood centers be open after school hours to encourage adults in Reading Studio Center at the administration office will be open after school hours, Fillyaw says. Special programs planned for the reading staff develop ment include an emphasis on reading in January. Fillyaw says the plans could include reading fairs and book exhibits to introduce new materials and ideas either at the schools or at the Reading Studio Centre. He will be sending out a monthly newsletter to inform teachers of materials available. Fillyaw hopes to initiate an intern program at ine ning of the spring semester to include gradúate students from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University to assist the Reading Studio Centre and individual schools with their reading programs. The university students would receive gradúate credit for their help. He also plans to solicit teacher assistans for the reading centers through Model Cities and from the general community. Fillyaw describes the multifaceted reading program as a "systems approach to reading staff development." He says he and his staff are not attempting to deal with the field of reading "like we're the experts," but he adds, "Everyone is going to learn together." With the back up of the Reading Studio Centre and materials which will be available, Fillyaw says teachers can work in a non-threatening environment to learn to teach reading more effectively. The variety of materials and techniques being shared by teachers should a1so insure that students will learn through one technique or another. When asked how he will obtain the necessary teacher cooperation to make the reading staff development program a success, Fillyaw says the superintendent has endorsed the program and written a directive to principáis indicating the need for their cooperation. McPherson says each school will be required to adopt a plan for the effective teaching of reading during the coming year. A similar requirement was adopted when the administration stressed humaneness in education during the last school year. McPherson says checks will be made to see if schools are implementing the reading plans they submitted. Fillyaw says through the reading staff development program he wants to make school personnel accountable to teach children to read, accountable to the students and their par - ents. Dr. John Porter, Michigan State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and one of the leading proponents of educational accountability in the nation, defines accountability this way: "Accountability is the guarantee that all students will acquire the minimum school skills necessary to take Ml advantage of the choices that accrue upon successful completion of public schooling, or we in education will describe the reasons why." Fillyaw, who has taught reading at the university and grade school levéis, says, 'Tve always had a great deal of concern for reading." "I am concerned that many kids are coming through the schools, especially black kids, are coming through without learning to read ," Fillyaw says. He views reading as part of life. Fillyaw says being able to read helps students to function in their immediate environment -