SELA program helps at-risk early readers grow their literacy skills over summer break

Posted August 21, 2012 11:00 pm

Tim Waldorf

Approximately 160 elementary students spent part of their summer building upon the literacy skills they developed during the school year by attending the Districts Summer Early Literacy Academies (SELA).The District launched the academies last summer as a way to reach out to its emergent readers who need continued support over the summer months. This year, the four-week program, which ran for three hours a day from July 9August 2, operated out of nine sites across the District, but it served the Districts most at-risk early readers from all 15 of the Districts elementary schools.The academies targeted students who had just completed kindergarten and first grade, and they were taught by reading specialists or teachers with strong backgrounds in reading instruction, as well as reading intervention program assistants. In fact, the academies were actually designed by the Districts reading specialists to serve as a continuation of the reading intervention programs the District offers to its emergent readers when they encounter struggles during the regular school year.The academies low student-to-teacher ratios ensured that each of the students invited to attend the academies received plenty of individual attention throughout the day. Instruction at the academies focused on the continued development of the students oral language and basic literacy skills, such as identification of letters and sight words, understanding of basic sounds, and expansion of vocabulary.This year, the academies teachers were provided iPads that allowed them to enhance their teaching of these skills in unique and engaging ways. The devices proved to be a huge hit with both the students and their teachers.At the conclusion of the program, parents were invited to visit the academies to see firsthand what their children had learned, and to learn how to support these efforts to grow their childs literacy skills through activities they could do at home.In the short term, the aim of the academies is to maintain the growth in literacy that the students made during the prior school year. Of course, maintaining that growth can have tremendous long-term effects on the students academic futures. Not surprisingly, research indicates that summer reading loss is greatest among students whove struggled to develop their literacy skills; they can sometimes lose as much as a quarter of a year of instruction over the break. Cumulatively, these summer reading losses can put struggling readers a full year behind their peers by the time they reach the upper grades. The Districts hope is that, by continuing to provide these students with literacy instruction over the summer break, these academies will help close that achievement gap.

Approximately 160 elementary students spent part of their summer building upon the literacy skills they developed during the school year by attending the District’s Summer Early Literacy Academies (SELA).

The District launched the academies last summer as a way to reach out to its emergent readers who need continued support over the summer months. This year, the four-week program, which ran for three hours a day from July 9–August 2, operated out of nine sites across the District, but it served the District’s most at-risk early readers from all 15 of the District’s elementary schools.

The academies targeted students who had just completed kindergarten and first grade, and they were taught by reading specialists or teachers with strong backgrounds in reading instruction, as well as reading intervention program assistants. In fact, the academies were actually designed by the District’s reading specialists to serve as a continuation of the reading intervention programs the District offers to its emergent readers when they encounter struggles during the regular school year.

The academies’ low student-to-teacher ratios ensured that each of the students invited to attend the academies received plenty of individual attention throughout the day. Instruction at the academies focused on the continued development of the students’ oral language and basic literacy skills, such as identification of letters and sight words, understanding of basic sounds, and expansion of vocabulary.

This year, the academies’ teachers were provided iPads that allowed them to enhance their teaching of these skills in unique and engaging ways. The devices proved to be a huge hit with both the students and their teachers.

At the conclusion of the program, parents were invited to visit the academies to see firsthand what their children had learned, and to learn how to support these efforts to grow their child’s literacy skills through activities they could do at home.

In the short term, the aim of the academies is to maintain the growth in literacy that the students made during the prior school year. Of course, maintaining that growth can have tremendous long-term effects on the students’ academic futures. Not surprisingly, research indicates that summer reading loss is greatest among students who’ve struggled to develop their literacy skills; they can sometimes lose as much as a quarter of a year of instruction over the break. Cumulatively, these summer reading losses can put struggling readers a full year behind their peers by the time they reach the upper grades. The District’s hope is that, by continuing to provide these students with literacy instruction over the summer break, these academies will help close that achievement gap.

-Story Submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15

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