Riverside Elementary sees student growth in reading

Menomonee Falls - Educators at Riverside Elementary are extremely impressed with student progress in reading.

At the Menomonee Falls School Board meeting on Monday, Riverside Principal Scott Walter and teachers Cindy Mueller and Susie Grabow gave thanks to Menomonee Falls School District administrators for their support of the Comprehensive Intervention Model, a reading recovery program used in the district. CIM gives struggling readers consistent instruction and is a systematic approach to reading intervention, Walter said.

"We are seeing progress like we haven't seen before," he said. "It's phenomenal."

Riverside students Donivan Miller and Morgan Fredrick showed off their reading skills in front of the School Board, sharing how they have progressed by reading from short stories they wrote.

"They think about what they need to work on and they can identify what they need to work on and they set goals for themselves," Mueller said. "The students are more engaged and motivated."

Since Riverside began using CIM, 14 of the 47 Riverside students moved to the proficiency level in reading.

"It may not seem like a lot, but to be honest with you, traditionally students who receive reading services receive them from kindergarten to fifth grade," Walter said. "We are exiting students because they are making so much growth in this intervention model."

Grabow, who has been a teacher in Menomonee Falls for more than 10 years, said she is getting the best results she has ever had with student progress in reading and writing. She thanked Superintendent Patricia Greco and Director of Teaching and Learning Gary Kiltz for their commitment to the program and continuous development of CIM.

"Thank you for the continued support in our development," Mueller said.