This article is part one of a two-part series on how Questar III supports reading achievement for students with special needs.
Reading is one of the most important skills children learn at an early age. However, for students with special needs, reading can also be among the most difficult skills to learn.
Questar III has two reading resource teachers to help students who have trouble reading. They provide the extra support needed to get to narrow the gap between where they currently function and where they should be. Courtney Galuski works with students in grades Kindergarten through 6 at George Washington School and Dena Iagrossi works with students in grades 6 through 12 at Maple Hill Middle School and Rensselaer Academy (we will cover Dena’s work in the second part of this series).
Galuski says her time with students is always one-on-one, and even in a school setting where class sizes are already small, this individual help is incredibly valuable.
Courtney Galuski is the Reading Resource Teacher at George Washington School.
“With me, they get individual help in a place that is completely uninterrupted without the fear of someone listening to them reading. They can feel confident and safe here,” she says.
Students who begin their school experience at George Washington often come anywhere from two to four grade levels below their target reading level. She says getting to those kids early has a huge impact on catching them up to where they should be as quickly as possible.
This is important. A 2011 study by Johns Hopkins University showed that a student who isn’t reading on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19 than a child who is reading proficiently by that time.
Generally, after third grade, school curriculum shifts from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”, and if students have not mastered an appropriate reading level, reading to learn will become increasingly difficult, placing them at a significant disadvantage to their peers (who have attained an age-appropriate reading level.)
Galuski spends 30 minutes two to three times a week based on student needs addressing reading, writing and word work. She also involves technology as much as possible. iPads are often used for literacy and reinforcement of other skills the students learn.
She says the key to the success of their work with students is really the one-on-one time.
“There’s no comparison to providing one-on-one individualized instruction for our neediest students. Not only do I have a chance to build a positive, trusting relationship with them during our time together, but I also have the opportunity to truly meet them at their current levels of understanding and provide them a safe environment to take risks. Administration has been so supportive of our efforts to provide this type of instruction and I’m really grateful for that,” Galuski says.
George Washington Principal Chris Martel says the work Galuski does goes beyond supporting the community at GWS – that she is a resource to the entire Special Education department.
“Courtney is a support to teachers throughout our Special Education programs. She coordinates much of our literacy materials for the Special Education department by cataloging, organizing and distributing our class sets of paperback literature and guided reading resources, and helping teachers access and utilize our ELA curriculum maps and online resources.”
He also says she supports reading assessments across programs, helping to collect, organize and share assessment data for all Special Education students who are assessed.
Galuski also coordinates the school’s participation in the Pizza Hut “Book It!” Program. One class has already read 19,000 minutes this year. She says the program has been motivational for students, since one of the rewards of the program is a pizza party at school.
“Courtney is a valued member of our school community. She is a frequent contributor to our PBIS committee meetings, and very often takes a lead role in many of our building-wide PBIS booster activities and special events. She has also coordinated much of our community outreach. I honestly don’t know what we would do without her,” Martel says.
