A research project on early literacy for children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 by teachers in South Central and Holy Family School Divisions received funding from an education grant foundation, as well as from Saskatchewan Learning's regional office.

The Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching has approved a grant of $2,600 to help collect data for this project at the kindergarten level in the two school divisions, said Shelley Rowein, director of education for South Central School Division.

Fillmore kindergarten teacher Kylee Glover, along with Tracey Kiliwnik, co-ordinator of student services for South Central, put the proposal together for the foundation; the funding is for one year only, but the project itself is a four-year research project.

"We have a vision, that by the end of Grade 3, all students will be reading at grade level. We're reviewing the program in terms of what we're doing and what do we need to change. The grant will help us in collecting the data, on which we will base our decisions to improve the program," said Rowein.

"We are identifying a number of objectives in each grade level. This is a four-year project, but at this time we are focussing on the kindergarten level," she added.

Each year over the next four years, they will be reviewing the kindergarten reading level; next year Grade 1 will be added, then Grade 2 the year after that, and so on. The project will involve seven school in South Central and four in Holy Family, for a total of 11 schools taking part.

"When we get to Grade 3, we might extend it, to give them an opportunity to review their program as well," said Rowein.

At the end of this school year, Glover and Kiliwnik will need to do a report for the McDowell Foundation on what was done; meanwhile Kiliwnik is waiting to hear how the grant will be paid out.

The two school boards approved the project, and also kicked in some funding.