Title I Reading Recovery Teacher

Akron Elementary School
Akron, IN

As a Title I reading Teacher, Alona Leininger was determined to create a reading program that would imbue even her lowest-achieving students with a love of reading. The Rainbow readers' hands-on activities and "buddy reading," was so successful it eventually became a Title I model.

"When children need help in reading, they come to my classroom," says Alona Leininger, a Title I reading recovery teacher at Akron Elementary School in Akron. Determined to help build the self-esteem and reading skills of all students, Mrs. Leininger took on the challenge of developing the most successful reading program possible. The Title I Rainbow Readers' program that she developed at Akron Elementary School proved so successful that it became a Title I model. In her Title I classroom, Mrs. Leininger uses computer technology, hands-on activities and "buddy reading" to prepare students for the following week's regular classroom lesson plans. Through Title I, she has also implemented such events as parent workshops on computer-assisted reading and an annual Title I awards program. As a master teacher in her community and her district, Mrs. Leininger has generously lent her expertise to professional committees and individuals alike.