Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidle Henderson visited Springside Elementary School in Saratoga Springs to promote the Cox-Henderson administration’s statewide literacy improvement efforts. During her visit, Henderson observed classroom instruction and held discussions with teachers and school administrators regarding successful literacy methods.
Henderson visited four classrooms where lessons were based on the science of reading, including a first grade class taught by Tamara Galbraith. Henderson noted that the teachers at Springside work together as teams to meet student needs while teaching them how to read.
Lindsay Rowland, assistant principal at Springside, stated that effective instruction follows prescribed steps to move learners from recognizing basic sounds through comprehension. Rowland also mentioned that Alpine School District has focused on unpacking the core curriculum so teachers understand the specific steps required for students to master reading standards.
Rowland further noted that the school uses data to measure individual student performance, allowing for interventions on essential standards to assist students who might otherwise fall behind.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed a goal alongside Governor Cox for 70% of students to be reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Henderson is conducting a statewide tour of every school district in Utah to learn from successful models.
Galbraith described the process of watching students transition from learning to read to reading to learn as rewarding, noting significant progress as students move toward reading chapter books.
