Schools
D46 Title I Summer Programs 'Jumpstart' Students
Proactive approach helps students make an easier transition to school.
The beginning of the school year is ideally a time of anticipation and excitement for students. But it can be a difficult transition for students who do not speak English or for those who may require additional support to perform at their grade level.
takes steps to provide students who fall in categories such as these the opportunity to participate in summer programs to prepare them for the upcoming school year.
Nancy Herrera, English Language Learner (ELL) Summer Program Director, ran Adelante (Spanish for Jumpstart) for pre-kindergarten students and the ELL program for K-8 students in .
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"These programs make the transition so much easier for the students, their classmates and the teachers," said Herrara, who has been a teacher at Avon school for seven years.
"With Adelante especially, the first day of kindergarten is less fearful for the children because they have already gone to summer school where we mirror what they will encounter in the fall," she said. "They are given the tools to communicate and understand what is happening and the teacher is able to focus on all of the students once the school year begins."
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Lisa Henricksen, Title I Summer Coordinator, oversees the 'Reading Naturally' program for Avon students in grades 1-4.
"We use tools, such as guided reading. Students also work on computers with teacher assistance. They are learning new words and telling stories. Their progress is monitored on a daily basis. Test scores from the end of the school year are compared to the beginning of the new year," said Henricksen, a third grade teacher in the district.
Technology played a big role in the learning process across the programs. In addition to the media center and computer lab, the Pre-K Adelante students became active users of Smart Boards to help them with spelling words.
"The technology keeps them engaged the entire time," said Henricksen.
The programs are part of the US. Department of Education Title I program. The purpose of Title I programming "is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments," according to the website www2.ed.gov.
