BPS partners with company to provide student 'literacy packs'

PLACITAS — Bernalillo Public Schools is partnering with a Texas-based company that provides customized backpacks to elementary school-age students which will help them boost their reading proficiency.

“Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs” from Just Right Reader will be provided to K-3 students, according to a company news release. Company and BPS representatives were on hand at Placitas Elementary School Tuesday to explain to families how the packs work.

“I love the idea of it. Parents really want to do the right thing, but they just don’t always know how or what to do,” the school’s principal, Rachel Lopez, said. “This (literacy pack) kind of takes that question out of it. When parents get these books, they don’t have to question: ‘Is this the right level for my (child)?’”

The meeting came following the New Mexico Public Education Department’s recent release of this year’s statewide assessment scores, showing BPS jumped from 19% to 33% in its literacy scores over a three-year period.

JoAnn Beuerle, communications coordinator for the school district, acknowledged the scores in an email explaining how the literacy packs fit in to BPS’s literacy curriculum.

“We also recognize that continued improvement requires consistent practice beyond the classroom. Just Right Reader offered a way to extend our literacy work into students’ homes — giving families access to engaging, developmentally appropriate decodable texts that reinforce what teachers are already doing in class,” Beuerle wrote. “The partnership complements, rather than replaces, our district’s literacy initiatives by strengthening the home-to-school connection.”

BPS learned about Just Right Reader through literacy networks and professional partnerships focused on early reading proficiency, Beuerle wrote. After learning more about the program’s alignment with the district’s literacy goals, BPS reached out to explore how it could support our local efforts.

The partnership is dubbed as a one-year pilot program so BPS can evaluate its effectiveness before continuing with the company.

The “Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs,” as the name suggests, are small enough for students to bring to school and take home. Each package contains “decodable” books and guidance for families on how to support reading at home. The book selections are specific to each student, based on student assessment data the district has for them.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Terri Hunt, director of impact and learning at Just Right Reader, explained the purpose of the books by likening them to Morse code.

“The English language is a code, and if we break down the code and make sure our kids know the code, then they can read it,” Hunt said. “ A lot of us don’t know the code, and so we have to learn the code from the beginning.”

The “fun and engaging” books will change in reading skill level so that students’ “knowledge of reading grows and they become more confident,” she said.

Hunt explained that the packs containing 10 books will be delivered to certain Bernalillo schools.

“(The school) is looking at the (assessment) data and saying, ‘These are the books that this student needs,’” Hunt said.

The students will open the packs in class together before teachers begin reading instruction.

“They’re going to be working in small groups to truly understand what’s in this book and how to read the book,” Hunt said.

By Thanksgiving, students will bring the first set of books home in a special book bag. The books contain a QR code, which provides a link to an instructional video.

Families are expected to engage in a discussion following reading the books and watching videos.

“We want (students) to talk about the story,” Hunt said. “That’s it! Can you do that? That’s pretty easy, right?”

BPS parent Rachel Duran said that she was not familiar with Just Right Reader materials before the meeting, but she is confident it will help her kindergarten-age son.

“I think it will be good that I can set aside time with Elijah and we can do something together that will ultimately help him with reading — and he will be engaged in a family activity,” Duran said.