Reading Specialist

Waimea Country School is very fortunate to have a full-time in-house Reading Specialist who works extensively with all of our students to ensure solid development of essential literacy skills.

Literacy is the cornerstone of academic achievement and future success. Research from countries around the globe consistently shows that students with strong reading skills grow up to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and empathetic adults. Reading well in elementary school has been shown, with statistical significance, to predict future school success, higher test scores and academic outcomes in nearly every measurable area, and even better paying jobs in adulthood. It is clear that reading is critically important for all students.

Our Reading Specialist provides early intervention and targeted support, using Orton-Gillingham’s multisensory literacy strategies, to help all students overcome obstacles and excel as readers.

The reading specialist begins the school year by conducting comprehensive diagnostic assessments to identify students in need of intervention, and then designs and implements individualized instruction plans tailored to each student’s unique needs and learning style. Student progress is monitored, and interventions are adjusted as necessary to ensure continuous improvement.

Lessons for whole-class, small groups, and individuals may include:

• Read-alouds to introduce listening comprehension strategies such as predicting, sequencing, and retelling.
• Red Flag (non-phonetic) word instruction.
• Fluency practice and checks.
• Individualized multisensory lessons to address reading needs.

Our Reading Specialist works to build literacy skills school-wide, by collaborating with classroom teachers to integrate literacy support strategies into the curriculum and providing professional development and mentorship to enhance all faculty members’ capacity to support struggling readers.

Ms. Aceret has a particular passion for reading education. “I feel that it is every student’s right to learn to read, and it is my continuous mission and hope to instill a love for reading in all of my students.”

Ms. Aceret also teaches music to the ‘Ohi’a Class. Detecting sound is an important part of auditory processing and plays an essential role in literacy.