On January 30th, KDS DAR Elementary School was honored to host an enriching coaching lab experience through the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI). During the coaching lab, reading specialists from across North Alabama had the opportunity to observe the student-centered partnership between DAR's reading specialist, Jana Kennamer, and 2nd grade teacher, Tracie Ford.
The day began with Elementary Principal Cilia Smith sharing the history of Kate Duncan Smith DAR School. During the classroom visit, 13 local area reading specialists and two regional specialists observed Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Kennamer engaged in side-by-side co-teaching using the Science of Reading instructional practices. The reading specialists also had the opportunity to observe Mrs. Kennamer and Mrs. Ford reflect on student engagement and identify next steps for student learning.
Through interactive activities and thought-provoking discussions, ARI effectively conveyed the importance of strong vocabulary lessons and was able to demonstrate this by modeling classroom partnerships with our reading specialist. ARI's visit to KDS DAR Elementary School received resounding reviews from state staff members and other specialists.
