Albert City‑Truesdale Elementary says last year’s reading gains weren’t just strong — they were the kind of results that make educators stop in their tracks.
The rural K‑6 school saw unusually rapid growth after introducing a new intervention program called WordFlight, aimed at helping struggling readers build foundational skills and confidence. Principal Ashley Dirks says the moment she realized something special was happening came during mid‑year testing.
The school had piloted WordFlight through a grant, but those results convinced staff to purchase the program for the rest of the year. Students in grades three through six improved reading accuracy proficiency from 82 percent in the fall to 95 percent in the spring. Sixth-graders grew 86 percent beyond expected national norms, and every grade level outpaced typical fluency growth.
Dirks says the biggest shift wasn’t just academic — it was emotional. Students who once avoided reading aloud began volunteering to read in front of classmates and even younger grades.
WordFlight uses a personalized, game‑style format that adapts to each student’s needs — whether decoding, accuracy or automatic word recognition. Students use it for about 20 minutes, three to four times a week. Dirks says that structure kept kids motivated and willing to push through challenges.
Teachers met monthly for “data days,” reviewing WordFlight reports alongside FastBridge assessments to adjust instruction. Dirks says that collaborative approach — with general education teachers, special education staff, interventionists, the instructional coach and herself all at the table — was essential.
The school also made a point to celebrate progress. Dirks visited classrooms every Friday to hand out certificates, and students added their names to a hallway bulletin board as they completed units.
With the new school year beginning, AC‑T plans to expand WordFlight to second grade while continuing it for grades three through six. Dirks says the staff is ready to hit the ground running.
She believes the combination of personalized instruction, intentional intervention and a supportive school culture will continue helping students become not just fluent readers — but confident ones.
