Project Leap is the title encompassing three regular education early literacy intervention programs serving kindergarten and first grade students in Naperville District #203.  Illinois State Board of Education lists Project Leap as an Early Intervention Model Site.

Brief History:
Project Leap was initially developed to address the literacy needs of first grade students who did not qualify for special education services or long-term reading support.  It began at one elementary building in 1988 with Dr. Roberta Buhle working collaboratively with Dr. Darrell Morris from Ohio State University.  The following year it was filed-tested in three schools and then expanded in 1990-91 to include all fourteen elementary schools.

In the spring of 1996 the district contracted with Dr. Robert Slavin of John Hopkins University and Dr. Rebecca Barr of National Louis University to evaluate the Project Leap program.  In addition to praising the program for its effectiveness, well-trained paraprofessional tutors, data collection and exceptional program refinement, the Barr and Slavin report recommended that the district consider ways to service students in need of literacy support earlier in their school career. 

K-Leap, an early intervention program for eligible kindergartners, was developed in response to that recommendation during the 1996-97 school year. 

In 1999, the SAIL (Summer Activities in Literacy) program was initiated as part of regular education summer school for a select group of kindergarten students who, based on teacher referral and May screening information, appeared to need extra support to acquire beginning literacy skills.        

Naperville�s Project Leap program now includes:

1.      K-Leap, an intervention program for kindergarten students from February through May.  Students are selected based on teacher referral and district screening information.  The K-Leap lesson model is delivered in a one-on-one setting, 15 minutes daily, 5 days per week by trained paraprofessional tutors.  Lesson components include letter recognition/production and letter/sound relationships; phonemic awareness (ability to distinguish individual sounds in words); shared   writing; and supportive reading of books.

2.      SAIL (Summer Activities In Literacy), a class offered during summer school for a select group of students just completing kindergarten.  Eligibility is based on teacher referral and May screening information.  The 1� hour SAIL session provides students with one-on-one and small group settings to increase alphabet recognition/production skills, to build understanding of letter/sound relationships, to increase phonemic awareness (ability to distinguish individual sounds in words), and to apply these skills in authentic reading and writing tasks.

3.    Leap, a one-on-one intervention program for first graders.  Classroom teachers and building reading specialists collaborate to refer and select students for service.  Teacher observations as well as building and district screening information assist in the referral/selection process. The daily 35-minute Leap tutorial session engages students in phonics and word-related activities, sentence writing, and new/familiar book reading.

SAIL (Summer Activities in Literacy)

WHAT IS SAIL?
SAIL is a form of literacy support provided in Naperville District #203 during summer school for eligible students who have just completed kindergarten.  It is one of the regular education early literacy intervention programs developed by Project Leap; Project Leap has been providing reading support services to developing readers in the district since 1988.  The goal of the SAIL program is to strengthen and maintain the literacy skills taught in kindergarten.  During the 1 1/2 hour session students have opportunities to practice their beginning reading and writing skills in large group, small group and individualized instructional settings. 

HOW ARE CHILDREN SELECTED FOR SAIL?
Children are eligible to receive SAIL services based on kindergarten teacher referral and May district screening information.  Students are selected because they might profit from extra instruction in letter names, sounds, phonemic awareness, concept of word and reading/writing activities.  Parents are notified of student eligibility for participation in SAIL near the end of May.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TYPICAL SAIL SESSION?
The daily session begins in a large group setting with singing and the reading of a published ABC Book. Books and songs are chosen based on their use of letter sounds, rhyming words, patterns and rhythm.  Each day one letter is targeted for review.  Attention is given to the letter name, its corresponding sound and handwriting practice.  Children also have the opportunity for receiving individualized help during this time to review the letters of the alphabet and letter/sound correspondence.

Next the children are divided into small groups and rotate through several learning centers or �stations�.  At one station a short group story is composed.  The story is reread several times throughout the week, cut up into individual word cards and reconstructed back to the whole again, and published into little books for various learning activities.  This helps children build sight vocabulary and develops their concept of word.  At another station students write in their sentence journals and develop phonics skills.  At a third station children read a book.  Emphasis is placed on matching spoken to printed words and learning about reading strategies.

The students return to the whole group setting at the end of each daily session for a read-aloud story, singing, and closing activities. 

HOW IS COMMUNICATION HANDLED? 
HOW IS PROGRESS REPORTED?
Student work is sent home each day.  Handwriting practice sheets, copies of the group stories and books read, and other student work keep parents informed about SAIL activities.  Teachers provide a brief daily description of the day�s literacy activities as well as a progress report for each student at the end of the four-week session.

HOW CAN FAMILIES SUPPORT LITERACY DEVELOPMENT?
Check your child�s take-home envelope each day and discuss its contents with your child.   Spend a few minutes (5-10) with your child on a daily basis in home follow-up activities.  For example, review the name/corresponding sound of the target letter and notice the handwriting practice sheet for that letter.  Listen to your child read the day�s Zoomer book and encourage him/her to reread other familiar stories found in the envelope.  Research has shown the importance of parental involvement for a child�s achievement in school.

WHAT IS K-LEAP?
K-Leap is a form of literacy support in Naperville District #203 for selected students during the second semester of kindergarten.  The same type of intervention, called Leap, has been available to selected first grade students since 1988.  Both are regular education programs based on a similar literacy model and are delivered by Leap-trained paraprofessional tutors.  The K-Leap one-on-one tutorial session is fifteen minutes a day, five days a week from February through May.

HOW ARE CHILDREN SELECTED FOR K-LEAP?
Children are eligible to receive K-Leap services based on kindergarten teacher referral and January district screening information.  Students are selected because they might profit from extra instruction in letter names, sounds, phonemic awareness, and concept of word (matching print to speech).  Frequently building support staff collaborate in recommending children for K-Leap services. (e.g. Reading Specialists, principals, etc.)

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TYPICAL K-LEAP SESSION?
The K-Leap tutorial has four components.  One component focuses on helping children distinguish and understand that there are separate sounds within words (phonemic awareness).   A second emphasizes alphabet recognition, letter production, and letter/sound relationships.  A third provides a shared writing experience to address concept of word and the application of letter/sound relationships in spelling.   The final component includes supportive reading (echo reading, choral reading, etc.) of a book with tutor modeling of beginning reading strategies.

HOW IS PROGRESS REPORTED?
A student is evaluated by the classroom teacher based upon performance within the classroom setting.  The child�s classroom teacher is in the best position to ascertain if the student is applying the skills being practiced in the one-on-one tutorial. As paraprofessionals, K-Leap tutors do not conference with parents nor prepare written reports.   Questions regarding an individual student should be directed to the child�s classroom teacher.   Questions of a general nature concerning the district K-Leap program may be directed to the district Project Leap office.

HOW CAN FAMILIES SUPPORT LITERACY DEVELOPMENT?
Students receiving K-Leap services will benefit from the following family literacy activities frequently suggested by classroom teachers:  1) reading aloud to the child; 2) writing activities such as thank you notes, letters to friends/family, grocery lists, etc.; 3) playing word games; 4) visiting the local library on a regular basis to check-out books; and 5) establishing a family reading time when everyone reads.  However, the child�s classroom teacher remains the best source for specific suggestions concerning an individual student.

WHAT IS  LEAP?
Leap is a one-on-one intervention program for first grade students who need extra support to further their literacy development. It is a district-wide regular education program that has been available to selected students since 1988.  Students work with a trained paraprofessional tutor for 35 minutes per day, five days a week.  The number of tutoring sessions varies by child, with an average of sixty-five sessions.  This tutoring is in addition to the child's classroom reading instruction.  The classroom teacher retains the primary responsibility for reading instruction.

HOW ARE CHILDREN SELECTED FOR LEAP?
Children are referred for this extra literacy support by their former kindergarten teacher or current first grade teacher.  Classroom teachers frequently collaborate with building reading specialists in both referring and selecting students for service.  Teacher observations, as well as various district and building screening measures provide additional information for assisting in this referral and selection process.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TUTORIAL SESSION?
Session components are designed to reflect research in early literacy development.  During each tutoring session the student engages in phonics and word-related activities, writes a sentence, and reads new and familiar books.  The phonics and word-related activities component hones skills in alphabet recognition, letter production, and letter/sound relationships.  Children develop phonemic awareness (an ability to distinguish/understand that there are separate sounds within words) and build decoding skills.  When writing a sentence children develop and apply their knowledge of letter-sounds and writing conventions and increase their understanding of concept of word (sentences are made up of individual words/spaces).  During the reading of new and familiar texts the student has the opportunity to learn and apply reading strategies and build sight vocabulary and fluency.

HOW IS PROGRESS REPORTED?
A student is evaluated by the classroom teacher based upon performance within the classroom setting. The child's classroom teacher is in the best position to ascertain if the student is applying the skills being practiced in the one-on-one tutorial. As paraprofessionals, Leap tutors do not conference with parents nor prepare written reports.  Questions regarding an individual student should be directed to the child's classroom teacher.  Questions of a general nature concerning the district Project Leap programs may be directed to the district Project Leap office.

HOW CAN FAMILIES SUPPORT LITERACY DEVELOPMENT?
Students receiving Leap services will benefit from the following family literacy activities frequently suggested by classroom teachers:  1) reading aloud to the child; 2) writing activities such as thank you notes, letters to friends/family, grocery lists, etc.; 3) playing word games; 4) visiting the local library on a regular basis to check-out books; and 5) establishing a family reading time when everyone reads.  However, the child's classroom teacher remains the best source for specific suggestions concerning an individual student.