Welcome!
Hello! My name is Rachel Nelsen, and I am excited to begin my new role as the reading specialist at St. Paul. I have 14 years of teaching experience and have previously taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. This past spring, I earned my master’s degree in literacy and reading specialist license from Concordia University Wisconsin. I look forward to partnering with students, families, and teachers to help every student grow in confidence and develop a lifelong love of reading!
Supporting Readers at St. Paul
As the reading specialist, I will support students through targeted small-group instruction, reading assessments, progress monitoring, and collaboration with classroom teachers. Instruction will build on each student’s strengths while providing additional practice in areas such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Supporting Literacy at Home
Families play an important role in helping children become confident readers! You can support literacy at home by:
- Reading together for 15–20 minutes each day.
- Letting your child choose books that interest them.
- Asking your child to tell you about what they read.
- Rereading favorite books to build fluency and confidence.
- Visiting the library.
- Celebrating effort, growth, and a willingness to try challenging words.
Contact Information
Please feel free to contact me with questions or if you would like ideas for supporting your child’s reading at home.
Rachel Nelsen, Reading Specialist
Email: rachel.nelsen@splgrafton.org
Phone: 262-377-4659 ext 563
Upcoming Dates
Summer Reading Program Packets: Please return completed summer reading packets to your child’s classroom teacher. We look forward to celebrating all the reading our students completed this summer!