As Virginia addresses the literacy crisis affecting school students, the Goochland Education Foundation (GEF) is responding by supporting teachers and classrooms with funding for necessary evidence-based literacy curriculum in alignment with the Virginia Literacy Act. This support is made possible in part by a $20,000 gift from Darrell and Boozie Martin, Goochland residents and strong proponents of expanded literacy resources in Goochland County Public Schools.
The Martin’s generous gift has allowed GEF to begin by focusing on strengthening reading in grades K-2 using proven reading supports using decoding (phonetics) and word knowledge tools. The tools include phonics posters and flashcards, anchor charts, phonics books, and decodable reader sets; all intended to enhance the current Phonics Foundations program in Goochland elementary schools. Through the consistent use of these resources across all subject areas, teachers anticipate greatly improving reading skills by second grade so that by third grade, students are reading to learn rather than learning to read.
“The Virginia Literacy Act requirements go into effect in the 2024-25 school year, so we’re very excited to get a jump-start in enhancing literacy in the classroom a year ahead of schedule through the support of the Martins” stated Cyndy Brown, Executive Director of GEF. Teachers in grades K-2 plan to work in tandem to unlock the code to stronger reading and better comprehension for students, opening the way to higher learning.
