They in turn provide professional development and continuing support at the schools they serve. They also meet several times during the school year. A video series now in development will help schools implement the model. Cumings advises teachers interested in such an approach to incorporate it a little at a time. We need to learn to incorporate change over time and celebrate the small achievements.
Students learn and apply strategies before, during and after reading to help build comprehension.
Early primary students meet in small, flexible groups and use leveled books while teachers observe them closely to determine their individual progress. Students are involved in modeled, shared and independent writing. Peer editing and teacher conferencing are used. Kentucky Marker Papers guide teachers in assessing genres of writing to plan instruction. Students choose and read materials on their individual levels.