Williamsville District reading forum set
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

In order to address the issue of students in the Williamsville School District who struggle with reading, the district's Parent Teacher Association, the Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association and Shared Decision Making Committee will present a reading forum in order to enhance parents' understanding of remedial reading needs between school and parents.

The forum will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 6 at Forest Elementary, 250 N. Forest Road.

"We want to educate parents about the different factors to assess the reading skills of children," said Ellie Grenaeur, a parent member of SEPTSA.

During the forum, a panel will answer questions from parents on the reading skills evaluation in the Williamsville schools and the remedial work done with individual students.

Sitting on the panel will be Brad Rodgers, headmaster of the GOW School; Kathy Rose, chair of the reconstructive language program at the GOW School; Iris Oakly, retired special education teacher from the Buffalo City School System; Lynn Scheur, from Buffalo Hearing and Speech; Gail Militello, head instructional specialist for English language arts, reading and English as a second language for the Williamsville schools; Terry Friend, assistive technology for the Williamsville schools; Karen Hirsch, reading specialist for the Ken-Ton district; and Jeannie Dorn, reading specialist for the Williamsville schools.

The forum will also address the uses of assistive technology and texts in remedial reading programs.

"In Williamsville, we have reading recovery for first graders and we have a kindergarten lab with a part-time reading teacher," said Shirlee Paveljack, principal of Forest Elementary School. "Early intervention is a key component of remedial reading."

Paveljack noted that the most important thing that parents can do for their children's reading development is read to them.

In addition to a question and answer session, the reading forum

will feature a reading specialist presentation which will include a video presentation of an average reader and a struggling reader learning to read; an interactive simulation that will allow people to experience how students feel as they struggle with reading; and a panel presentation and discussion led by experts in the field of literacy education addressing reading struggles and learning differences.

Continuing Ed credit will also be given for teachers.

"There are generalities across the district," Paveljack concluded. "We want parents to know what a struggling student feels."

For information on the forum, call 565-6099 or 626-4856 or e-mail readingforum@yahoo. com.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com