SIPPS and Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Meet the Requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act

RICHMOND, Va., April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Literacy Partnerships, has approved two Collaborative Classroom programs, SIPPS and Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets. Both programs meet the requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act and appear on Virginia's Recommended Instruction Program Guide.

Approved under Intervention for grades K–5, the SIPPS curriculum is a research-based intervention program for grades K–12 that provides a structured literacy approach to foundational skills through explicit instructional routines. In Summer 2024, SIPPS will be submitted to Virginia for approved use in grades 6–8.

Approved under Supplemental, the Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets program for grades K–2 is designed to supplement any whole-class reading curriculum. It provides targeted, differentiated reading instruction for building and practicing phonics and foundational skills, improving language comprehension, and developing independent thinking.

For schools using Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets to supplement core instruction, SIPPS provides an aligned Tier II or Tier III intervention. Using both programs together ensures that all students master foundational reading skills and provides students who need additional intervention with seamless support through an aligned scope and sequence, common routines, and a similar lesson structure.

"We are excited that Virginia has approved SIPPS and Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets for its Recommended Instruction Program Guide," said the CEO and President of Collaborative Classroom, Kelly Stuart. "Divisions throughout Virginia have embraced these evidence-based programs, fostering the growth of their students as proficient and self-assured readers. We are committed to providing unwavering support to literacy educators in Virginia."

Collaborative Classroom's Manager of Educational Partnerships Barbara Patterson Oden supports Virginia schools. "In the last ten years, approximately 25 percent of Virginia's school divisions have chosen to adopt SIPPS as their preferred literacy intervention method. A significant number of these divisions have integrated SIPPS as the primary tool for enhancing foundational skills throughout their entire division," Patterson Oden said. "Additionally, they have committed to providing science of reading professional development opportunities, contributing to the growth of highly skilled reading educators across Virginia."

About Being a Reader Small-Group Reading (K–2)
An easy-to-use supplement to any whole-class reading program, Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets for grades K–2 meets students where they are instructionally.

The program provides targeted, differentiated reading instruction for building and practicing phonics and foundational skills, improving language comprehension, and developing independent thinking.

About SIPPS (K–12)
SIPPS is a research-based intervention program designed to support K–12 students in developing foundational literacy skills. With its structured instructional routines, SIPPS provides educators with the tools they need to deliver effective intervention and accelerate student growth in reading. Learn why so many states, including Virginia, are recommending SIPPS.

Aligned for Maximum Impact: SIPPS + Being a Reader Small-Group Reading Sets
Using both programs together:

• Ensures that all students master foundational reading skills
• Provides students who need additional intervention with seamless support through an aligned scope and sequence, common routines, and a similar lesson structure

Learn more about Virginia's approval of both programs:
https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/virginia-literacy-act-recommended-programs/ 

About Collaborative Classroom

Collaborative Classroom is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that all students become readers, writers, and thinkers who learn from, care for, and respect one another.

Collaborative Classroom's evidence-based programs help children develop as proficient readers and writers, appreciate the ideas and opinions of others, learn to agree and disagree respectfully, think critically about big ideas, and become responsible citizens of the world.

Our commitment to continuous, embedded professional learning empowers educators to grow their teaching practices, build school community, and create the conditions for authentic, student-centered learning.

Since the organization's founding in 1980, our work has reached more than 8 million students and 328,000 teachers in classrooms across the country, developing fluent readers and skilled writers, supporting instructional equity, transforming discipline practices, and bolstering student and teacher engagement. Learn more at collaborativeclassroom.org/.

SOURCE Collaborative Classroom