At Harley Avenue Primary School in the Elwood Union Free School District, select teachers have been working in conjunction with Harley Principal Karen Koliadko and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Maryann Llewellyn to establish model Learning Literacy Classrooms for the school. Each grade within Harley currently has one model classroom.
 
Within the Learning Literacy Classrooms, teachers have developed a series of work stations for small group instruction work with their students. Children in these classes rotate between the stations, at which they work together in small groups on various literacy-based activities and receive extra support from the teacher. Stations include such hands-on activities as buddy reading; a drama station where students “act out” popular literary works using puppets; a computer station at which children conduct literacy-based activities on the computer; and a word station, where children use magnetic alphabet letters to form words on cookie trays.
 
According to Mrs. Koliadko, “The students rotate throughout the stations and one of their rotations may be with the teacher to work in small groups to target areas of need. The goal is for the teachers to work in small groups based on the children’s needs, whether they are in need of academic assistance or extra enrichment.”
 
The Learning Literacy Classrooms were formed in January 2011; however excitement about the model stations has already spread throughout the school. “The teachers are becoming more comfortable with the stations and are excited about expanding into other classrooms,” said Mrs. Koliadko. In the future, the school plans on inviting fellow teachers into the Learning Literacy Classrooms to visit and learn from the classroom set-up.