PPS Hosts Family U Event on Reading Support and Instruction

The Irvington Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Department recently hosted a Family U Event about Reading Interventions at Dows Lane Elementary School, welcoming K-12 parents for an informative evening focused on supporting students with reading and writing needs through evidence-based instruction and early intervention. 

The event opened with remarks from District Inclusion Coach Caroline Knudsen and Assistant Director of PPS Francis Tolan, followed by a presentation from Christina Buonamano, the district’s Specially Designed Reading Instruction Coach, who shared insights into how Irvington supports students with diverse learning needs.  

Ms. Buonamano provided an overview of the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), explaining how universal screenings and ongoing data collection guide instructional decisions and ensure students receive appropriate levels of support. She outlined the progression from Tier 1 differentiated classroom instruction to Tier 2 targeted small-group support and Tier 3 intensive interventions, emphasizing the collaborative role of teachers, providers, and administrators in monitoring student progress every six to eight weeks and adjusting instruction as needed. 
The presentation also highlighted Specially Designed Reading Instruction (SDRI), a structured, multisensory approach grounded in research-based practices such as Orton-Gillingham and related methodologies. Parents learned how this instruction supports students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences by strengthening phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Ms. Buonamano emphasized that instruction is diagnostic and prescriptive, allowing educators to tailor pacing and focus based on individual student progress. Writing challenges, including dysgraphia, were also discussed, along with instructional strategies used to support written expression such as explicit writing instruction, sentence modeling, and assistive technology. 

Interactive activities allowed parents to better understand the learning challenges some students experience, fostering empathy and awareness by simulating the cognitive effort required for students with language-based learning differences. Ms. Buonamano also shared information about the district’s ongoing investment in professional learning, including training and certification for educators in structured literacy practices. 

Families who were unable to attend the event may contact the PPS Department to access a recording of the presentation. The next PPS Family U event will be covering Neurodiversity and will take place on March 5, 2026 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm in the Campus Presentation Room (CPR). The PPS Department looks forward to hosting additional Family U events, continuing its commitment to family engagement and student success.