October Professional Development Features Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Program

Beaches Campus  kindergarten through third grade teachers engaged in a deep dive into the Benchmark Assessment System with an outside consultant who has expertise in the implementation of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy program on Friday, October 2.

The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy program includes an extensive set of materials that are research-based and practical for teachers to use, based on decades of work by educators Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell.  The Beaches Campus is moving forward with two components of Fountas & Pinnell literacy materials for kindergarten through third grade — the Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and leveled reading books.  The system provides teachers with a consistent, standardized tool to assess each student’s reading level, so that literacy instruction can take place within a guided reading structure, supporting whole group, small group, and individual instruction. 

An added benefit of using Fountas and Pinnell program is the attention the organization has given to creating materials that reflect a diverse and inclusive society. The Fountas & Pinnell consultant and the teachers discussed the assessment component at length so that our teachers would be well-equipped to implement and make use of the assessments in a meaningful, practical way, enhancing our literacy curriculum and building a solid literacy foundation for our students.