HSACF provides literacy manipulatives
The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation board of directors became involved with the statewide Grade Level Reading Initiative in 2018 to address the nationwide problem of “third-graders not being able to read at a third-grade reading level.”
That has now broadened into an Early Literacy focus, “as the original GLR program brought to light that the problems begin at a much earlier age, and must be addressed much sooner,” a news release said.
Since 2018, the local board has awarded 19 grants, totaling $132,659, specifically addressing the grade level reading and literacy issues by granting funds to the following organizations: Fountain Lake Elementary, Cutter Morning Star Elementary, the Hot Springs Family YMCA, Caddo School District in Montgomery County, Imagination Library of the Ouachitas, St. Luke’s Episcopal Day School, Visitors AME Chapel Church, Npc-childcare Aware, High Impact Movement, and Ouachita Regional Counseling and Mental Health Center.
Also, to address the issue at a much earlier age, for the 2022-23 school year, HSACF granted funds to Dawson Education Cooperative which provides 16 Arkansas Better Choices Pre-k classrooms within the Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Fountain Lake, Mountain Pine, Cutter Morning Star and Jessieville school districts.
“Dawson Cooperative purchased literacy manipulatives for each classroom to help children learn through play. These manipulatives are used in different interest or play centers in each classroom to learn different literacy skills while playing. The manipulatives focus on phonetics, letter recognition and word building,” the release said.
“The teachers were provided professional development training on how to incorporate the manipulatives in their classrooms. Arkansas Better Choices guidelines require a significant portion (33%) of the child’s day in the center be spent in free play. The students can play with these materials that focus on and teach early literacy skills while not realizing they are also learning,” it said.
Dawson Education Cooperative partners with six of the school districts in Garland County. These school districts have signed a memorandum of understanding with Dawson. The districts provide the classroom space, playground space, gym facilities and library. They also provide building and ground maintenance, meals, snacks, and utilities. Dawson Education Cooperative provides the staff, administrative support materials for the classroom, and professional development.
“The purpose of the partnership with the school districts is to provide quality preschool services and resources to the children and families in the district. The Hot Springs District has three classrooms located in Langston Elementary Leadership Academy, Oaklawn Stem Magnet and Main Street Visual & Performing Arts Magnet. Five classrooms are in the Lake Hamilton Primary School, with one at Fountain Lake, Mountain Pine, and Cutter Morning Star school. Jessieville School district houses two classrooms, it said. The 16 classrooms include 3- and 4-year-olds.
In 2021, the Arkansas Department of Education announced the launch of Pre-k R.I.S.E. to expand its focus on Early Childhood Education by providing a quality curriculum, regional technical assistance supports, and professional development for early childhood educators that are grounded in the science of reading.
“In order to impact lifelong learning outcomes for young children, this initiative aims at increasing teacher knowledge and skills in the developmentally appropriate practices for early literacy instruction. All of the teachers in the Dawson Education Cooperative classrooms received the Pre-k R.I.S.E. training and implemented the curriculum in their classrooms and have seen great results. End-ofyear-testing and Kindergarten assessments are completed in August of every year,” the release said.
The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation will again be offering grant opportunities for local organizations to apply for Early Literacy grants, formerly known as Grade Level Reading grants, beginning Thursday and ending March 31 (see related article).
Nonprofit agencies, public schools, government agencies or hospitals are eligible to apply. Call Joyce Whitfield, executive director, at 501-372-1007, or email hotspringsarea@arcf.org for more information.