At SBS we view children as individuals, and expect that as such, they will have their own strengths and needs in reading and in other academic areas. We also recognize that there are skills that every child must acquire at each grade level in order to progress as a reader. The goal of our reading program is to provide students with the reading experiences and instruction necessary for each child to continually grow as a reader. Students are assessed individually using a variety of resources including running records, anecdotal notes, and the Developmental Reading Assessment (which the State of Connecticut uses to establish reading benchmarks at each grade level).

Reading skills and comprehension are taught through a combination of whole group instruction, guided reading, independent reading, and individual reading conferences. Students in grades K-4 select books and read independently at their just-right level every day. They also work in a teacher-guided small group to learn and practice specific reading or comprehension strategies every week. In addition, students bring home appropriately leveled book on a nightly basis, and parents are asked to act as reading coaches at home to provide students with additional reading experience and support.