HISD’s focus on literacy may be nothing new, but according to Elementary Curriculum & Instruction Officer Lance Menster, many components of the district’s Literacy By 3 initiative are.

“The difference is in the districtwide alignment and the resources and support that will be available,” said Menster. “This is one of the most exciting things happening right now in HISD.”

Menster appeared alongside Elementary Reading Manager Malene Golding in the July 2014 edition of HISD Up Close (a district TV program hosted by the Board of Education President Juliet Stipeche) to discuss Literacy By 3 and to talk about what sets it apart from the district’s previous literacy efforts.

Under Literacy By 3, for instance, every elementary campus will be provided with a Leveled Book Room to serve as a common resource this fall, and every K-3 teacher will be outfitted with his or her own classroom library, containing about 300 leveled books.

“Teachers are really jazzed and excited about the resources they’re going to have in their classrooms,” said Menster. “The demand for the training has been so huge, we’ve actually had to offer more sessions than we originally planned.”

Watch the video below to learn more about Literacy By 3, including its five core components and how it will benefit parents when making purchases for a home library.

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