Head of Lower School and Literacy Development. Jenny Rundle shares how her work supports students in grades 2–12 by strengthening literacy across all content areas—not just reading class, but science, social studies, and beyond. Hear more about what literacy development really means for students with language-based learning differences, how teachers are coached and supported, and why experiences like book fairs and author visits matter so much. Jenny also offers a simple, powerful piece of advice for families at home: read together, and model a love of reading at any age.
Gayle: Jenny, this year you have a new title. For parents who are listening, what's your new title, and how does that change in title reflect the work you've already been doing and connect to students grades two through twelve?
Jenny: So in addition to being head of lower school, I have an additional title as literacy development, and it ties in nicely to what I was already doing as our Wilson reading coach for full school. Being a Wilson certified teacher, I've been able to be at coach to the Wilson teachers in our school, both buildings, leading the department meetings for those making sure
everyone has what they need, providing some professional development. And so this new title ties in nicely with that position as well. So now I'm able to work with teachers second through twelfth grade in supporting literacy development in all content areas. So whether it's an English teacher or science, social studies teacher, but supporting our students with language-based learning differences in all content areas for all grades.
Gayle:
What would a student be learning differently or what would a parent see because of the fact that you get to work with teachers in these ways?
Jenny:
So for example, you know, high school teacher might come to me and say, you know, I have some really challenging vocabulary. The students are struggling with understanding and incorporating into the concepts that we're learning. And so I might come in, I might observe, give some feedback, give ideas to the teacher of how they can address some of those language-based differences in their content area, strategies on how to differentiate and really use best practices to support the literacy development within any other areas.
Gayle:
What kind of things do you see in an observation that inform what we do with literacy?
Jenny:
So well, first of all, when I go in for an observation, I've usually had a conversation
with the teacher and I've asked them what specifically they are looking for.
You know, what kind of support do they need or are they speaking out?
It could be with our key comprehension routine, comprehension strategies.
It could be with supporting a student who is still in the Wilson reading system to know
what level they are and what we can expect from them and how to support them in a different
Classroom. So I have that conversation first, so I know what I'm focusing on when I go in.
But when I approach any classroom, yes, I do take a look around and I want to see, you
know, depending on the content area, I want to see literacy up on the walls, I want to
see vocabulary, words, or graphic organizers being used, you know, best practices that
the teachers know really work best to support the students.
I take a look at what the students are doing or not doing and the type of answers they're
giving to better understand where their needs are and where we can focus as well.
Gayle: What makes you proud when you do our observations?
Jenny:
Yeah, our teachers are so good, they get really creative when there's a challenge in their classroom and they're not short first, maybe how to best support students.
They just get really creative and they try things and they collaborate with one another.
But, you know, there was a teacher that in high school, other teachers were coming to
her and saying, "Hey, you know, understanding, breaking down words, understanding roots,
understanding the spoke vocabulary that's really high level is tricky."
And she shared what she does in her classes and, you know, brilliant, taking these really challenging vocabulary words, coming up with a definition, a visual example words that incorporate the same types of roots.
Instruction you wouldn't necessarily get in another school because in high
school, you're just solely focused on that content area, really don't have the time to
break things down such as roots of the words and understanding their meaning and depth. So something really special that our teachers are able to do here.
Gayle:
And I know that in addition to the observations of the coaching elements, things like that,
you also have, as part of literacy development, you do things like the book fair, bringing
invisible authors, have special literacy moments.
Jenny:
So so many of our students who have struggled in the past with their literacy development,they don't love to read books. I mean, some do, but some it's just an area of need, of a area of weakness and they don't enjoy it. So anything that we can do to get them excited about learning and reading and wanting to grab a book, that's part of what I want to do. So for example, the book fair, they all get excited about the book fair, you know, sometimes it's the little trinkets that pull them in, but if we can get them excited about picking out a book or two, that kind of excitement is what we're trying to build. And I'd love to share a little bit about an author that came to visit any time that we
can get students excited about reading and also see a real world connection to literacy.
That's our goal.
So we had this very fortunate experience of having a local author, she resides in Charlotte, come and speak to us about her first children's book that she published.
And it turned into this beautiful relationship partnership because she saw the excitement
in our students when she came to visit.
We really thought this was a great author to bring in because the story takes place talking about this young girl's experiences visiting her grandmother in Guatemala, so we're bringing in different culture and learning that way.
And the book was also designed for students with language-based learning differences.
So the font and the layout of the book makes it more accessible for our readers.
So we really thought this was just the perfect author to bring in.
And the students were so excited and the book just happens to be fantastic.
It's this magical experience for this little girl in the story.
And the author not only read to them and talked about the process of making a creating a story, making a book published, but she then came back to us and asked our lower school students if they would be beta readers for the sequel.
So that is an experience that they're going to take with them forever.
Gayle:
So exciting!
Jenny:
Yes, that really got them excited, not only for the book to come out, but they can always
look back at that experience and say, "I read the script before it was even published."
Yes, I helped give ideas, I gave my thoughts, my opinions about what was written.
And she took that and made changes and worked with her editors as well.
So that's an experience that you just don't often get.
But it's many experiences like that that we can provide for our students to get that
excitement going in that real world connection, I think is so important.
Wonderful.
Yes, so that's the whole reading, writing package and the whole kind of circle of learning,
very meta where she's modeling for them, that it isn't always easy.
I'm sure she talks about how she has to make changes and that can be really confidence
boosting for kids who feel like if it's hard for someone else, maybe it's okay when it's
hard for me.
Right, right?
I love it.
Gayle:
Okay, finally, if you could get parents one piece of advice, something realistic they could
do at home to support literacy development for their children.
What would it be?
Jenny:
Read.
And as simple as that is, take time to read with your child, get into the void, the characters,
voice and really make it come alive, get them excited about reading and listening to stories.
And even as children get older and they don't want to buy into that, it's not cool anymore
for mom or dad to be reading with them or reading to them, which I don't think is true.
I think we all want to be read to no matter what our age.
But if parents can model reading, so, hey, I'm turning the TV off, I'm putting my phone
away, I have a book in my hand and I'm reading or like, let's have a family reading time
before bedtime.
We're all just reading our own thing and it's quiet.
I think that's so impactful for children to see their parents reading for pleasure.
And so that would be my advice.
Gayle:
Thank you so much for all you do for our students.
Jenny:
Thank you.