Summer reading makes a difference

Program, started 3 years ago, helps young students succeed.

“For a teacher, there is nothing better than to see a child beaming because they can read a book or spell words by themselves.”

That was part of Oakwood teacher Laurie Harper’s motivation to create the district’s Summer Reading Immersion Program three years ago. Harper, who had taught second grade for 13 years, had become a first-grade teacher at Smith Elementary that year. She saw children having trouble and set out to develop a program to help.

“I noticed some students really struggled with one or more skills necessary for reading words on their own when they entered first grade. I thought it would be great if our district offered a reading immersion program to help them feel as confident and successful as possible,” Harper said.

The program now runs each summer, two hours a day, three days a week for six weeks. Students who just completed kindergarten are eligible to attend.

Alyssa Murphy’s daughter attended in the summer of 2016. Murphy says her daughter improved her reading, gained confidence and was well prepared for first grade.

“Our first-grade year was wonderful. All school systems would benefit from this early intervention program that has small groups, qualified teachers and is affordable,” Murphy said.

Harper says the program is so successful because they make learning fun and keep the children engaged.

“Many of these ‘new’ first graders were just beginning to put all the pieces of the reading puzzle together as their kindergarten school year ended. It’s a great time to keep that momentum going. Students also enjoy the extra time with their friends and the comfortable surroundings of Lange School,” Harper said.

In order to “keep that momentum going,” Harper and her team employ a number of different teaching strategies. Students work in small groups, taking part in activities like Sight Words, the Vowel of the Week Game, guided reading and handwriting.

They also do activities as a larger group. Each week, the students are treated to a visit from Jacqui Taylor, the youth services coordinator at the Wright Memorial Public Library. As she does during the school year, Taylor reads aloud to the students, encouraging their love for reading.

In addition, students take home books they’ve read with their teachers each day. These books reinforce reading for enjoyment, sight words and vowel sounds. The books are for the students to keep and re-read, increasing their word fluency and other skills.

Kelly Judy, a Centerville teacher and Oakwood parent, says her daughter flourished in the program. She said the summer activities helped Cora not only maintain her skills but increase them, making for a good transition to her next year of school. Judy knows the importance of children developing these reading skills at an early age.

“My hope for Cora is that she establishes a strong foundation of reading that will enhance her love and confidence of an essential skill throughout the rest of her life,” Judy said.

In order to ‘keep that momentum going,’ Harper and her team employ a number of different teaching strategies.