The mission of the Elementary Reading program in Loudoun County Public Schools is to teach all students how to read and comprehend written text so that they may become independent readers and lifelong learners with a firm grasp of the written world that surrounds them.  Students are taught to develop skills and strategies needed to make sense of what they read.  They are learning to think critically and to acquire knowledge in the content areas.  Sycolin Creek students are immersed in a rich literature and language rich environment with daily reading and writing opportunities.  They are exposed to a wide variety of fictional and informational reading material to enhance learning and enjoyment. 

The Reading Specialists at Sycolin Creek coordinate the school's reading program, work with struggling readers in small groups, and serves as a resource to teachers and parents to support reading. In addition, they organize the reading incentive programs for the school.

Everyone at Sycolin Creek is committed to providing an environment that helps students become competent, lifelong readers. 

 Sycolin Creek uses the Loudoun's Pathways to Reading and Writing program.  This is a K-5 instructional model based on best practices in literacy instruction.  Loudoun's Pathways uses a reading and writing workshop format which consists of some or all of the the following components: phonics instruction, word study, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, read alouds, and writers workshop.  As reading specialists we provide support by working with small groups of students in literacy groups.  We reinforce classroom instruction with word study, guided reading, and guided writing.

The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is the state provided screening tool for Virginia’s Early Intervention Reading Initiative.  PALS, which is administered in grade 3, is used to identify students who are performing below grade level expectations and may be in need of additional reading instruction.

The Virginia Language and Literacy Screener System will be used with all grades K-2 three times a year to identify students who may be in need of additional reading instruction.  Students will be assessed in various areas, such as: alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, encoding/decoding, language comprehension, processing, and oral reading fluency.  

Your child's teacher will share the results of these scores at conferences.  

Read  TO  Your Child

• Read from a variety of reading materials (magazines, non-fiction books, poetry, manuals that require following directions, etc.).

• Make it a habit to visit the public library.

• As you read to your child, keep them involved. 

• Have your child make predictions or invite comments as the story events unfold.

• Share your thoughts about the story and encourage your child to respond to your comments.

• Have your child write about the story.  The child can draw a picture of his favorite part and then write about it.

Read WITH Your Child and let them LISTEN to books

• Listen to your child read to you.  If what your child reads doesn't make sense, repeat it to him and ask, "Does that make sense?"

• Utilize the free audio books on the Loudoun County Library page.

• Allow your child to read familiar stories over and over again.  This builds confidence, fluency, and a sight word vocabulary.

• Allow your child to read easier books.  This fosters the enjoyment of reading.  This also allows the child to retain the content of the story, because they don’t have to put so much effort into decoding words.

• Share the reading.  Have your child read a page and you read the next.

• Before reading a new book, have your child preview the book by reading the title and looking at the illustrations.  Have them tell you what they think the story will be about.

• After reading, discuss the story with your child.  Ask your child about their favorite part, or something interesting that he learned from the story.

• Encourage older children to summarize what they have read.

• Have your child write about the story.  Ask younger children to draw a picture of their favorite part and then add a sentence that tells what is happening in the picture.  Have older children respond to a particular event giving and justifying opinions.

When Your Child Is Stuck On A Word   

• Give your child "wait" time.  Allow your child to work through a difficult word before stepping in.  Your "wait" time provides needed processing time and sends your child the message that you expect them to try something.

• After providing wait time, try some of these prompts:

  • Look carefully at all the letters.

  • Blend the sounds together. Read the word.

  • Read the entire sentence.  Does it sound right?

• Don't feel that your child must correct all errors.  Even adult readers make mistakes.  Praise what your chil

Listed below are some of our favorite website links. 

The content of these links is not controlled by Loudoun County Public Schools.  While school staff reviews links when they are inserted, the content may change.  Remember that the outside source Web page may link to other pages that have not been reviewed; explore at your own risk.

Reading Rockets

• This web site is part of PBS.  It has tons of articles and activities to help parents help their children.

PBIS Kids

• Lots of your children’s favorite PBS show characters have activities to reinforce reading skills.

CBC Books

• This is the web site of the Children’s Book Council – a great resource to find quality books for your children.

Dawl CL

• The Database of Award Winning Children’s Literature.

RIF

• This is the parent resource section of Reading is Fundamental.

Tumble Books

• This is an online library to help children develop the fundamentals of reading.

• The username is lcpse and the password is elem

  AR Bookfind

• This site enables one to search for a book by title, author, or level in order to choose appropriate reading materials for your child. 

Loudoun Public Library

• Watch the Story! Read the Book! BookFlix is an online literacy resource that pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction eBooks to build a love of reading and learning. BookFlix reinforces early reading skills and introduces children to a world of knowledge and exploration.

We Value...

• Fostering the joy of reading and writing in each student;

• Promoting strong reading achievement and measurable growth for all students;

• Honoring the diverse cultural and linguistic experiences each student brings;

• Personalizing literacy instruction supported by data-driven decisions; and

• Providing ongoing professional development that builds capacity and consistency across our staff so that we remain current with research-based practices and ensure equitable literacy instruction for all our students.

We Believe...

• All students can and will learn to read when provided with appropriate support;

• Families are partners in our students’ ongoing literacy development;

• The five critical competencies–critical thinking, communicating, collaborating, contributing, and creating–should be nurtured in our students throughout their academic experiences. 

• Oral language and communication skills play an important role in literacy development; and

• Accessible materials that support cross-curricular learning should be integrated into the student learning experiences and reflect the diversity of our community.