DARLINGTON, S.C. – The Darlington County School District (DCSD) recognized this week the 2021-2022 Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Training Class for successfully completing a full year of graduate-level coursework offered through the district’s partnership with Clemson University's Early Literacy Training Center.
These teachers became a part of a community of learners dedicated to teaching young striving readers and improving instruction and student outcomes for all students.
At the conclusion of the training, six DCSD teachers became certified in Reading Recovery. They enrolled in four graduate-level courses through Clemson University and earned a total of 12 graduate credit hours. These teachers also received credit for the Add-On Literacy Endorsement through the Read to Succeed program.
The new DCSD Reading Recovery Teachers are:
· Kim Bonnoitt, St. John’s Elementary School
· Angela Prosser, Carolina Elementary School
· Kenyatta Peterson, Thornwell School for the Arts
· Kinsey Johnson, North Hartsville Elementary School
· Melanie Carpenter, Bay Road Elementary School
· Hilary Faircloth, Pate Elementary School
The Early Literacy teachers participated in the same training class as the Reading Recovery Teachers. These certified teachers enrolled in two graduate-level courses through Clemson University and earned a total of eight graduate-level hours at the conclusion of the training year. These courses are approved for two of the required Read to Succeed classes: “Instructional Strategies for Reading” and “Assessment Strategies for Reading”. During the training, these teachers learned how to apply Reading Recovery instructional procedures to design-focused lessons with the goal of accelerating literacy learning for all students.
The new DCSD Early Literacy Professional Development Teachers are:
· Lacy Jackson, Pate Elementary School
· Jennifer Gribben, DCSD English/Language Arts coordinator
· Nancy Williamson, Southside Early Childhood Center
· Sharon Byram, St. John’s Elementary School