The International Reading Association's Exemplary Reading Program Award recognizes outstanding reading and language arts programs in schools throughout North America. Each participating state and province can choose one winning school per year.
Lilja School is proud to have been selected as one of 26 schools in the United States and Canada to have received this annual award. Lilja's Exemplary Reading Program is the result of a multi-year collaborative staff effort resulting in
- a school wide literacy program based on best practices supported by research
- an early support system to ensure success for all readers
- use of a wide range of stimulating trade books designed to engage young readers and promote success with reading
- ongoing assessments to guide instruction and document student development
- ongoing development of every teacher's knowledge base
In every Kindergarten through fourth grade classroom, Lilja students are involved in meaningful reading and writing experiences for multiple purposes. Teachers carefully match engaging fiction and non-fiction texts with students' current reading levels so that each student develops effective reading strategies while experiencing the satisfaction and enjoyment of reading. Lilja's young readers develop the language and thinking skills needed to thoughtfully talk and write about the books they read. Students write for multiple purposes across the curriculum, using writing to discover what they know and what they want to learn in Math, Science and Social Studies.
Students and their families have responded enthusiastically to Lilja's reading program. Teachers from other school systems visit our classrooms to learn from us. Educators who visit are excited by what they see. Lilja's Reading Program is focused on our fundamental mission - to create a culture of literacy in which all students become successful and engaged readers and writers.