Literacy for Life: Learn to read, then read to learn

Trying to decide which robot to make first, Empire Elementary School fourth-graders Lissette Garcia, Leslie Torres and Alex Cosio divided the pictures of possible projects into two piles.

One pile were those they didn't want to do, the other they called the "maybe pile."

"I want to make the bird," Alex, 9, concluded. "I never made a robot before, ever."

The students worked in teams during the robotics class as part of the X Factor after-school program at Empire Elementary School. The program is designed to help students who are behind in any subjects, particularly reading.

"As soon as you are not reading at grade level, the math text doesn't make sense. Your science text doesn't make sense. You can't keep up and school becomes overwhelming," explained Vice Principal Bob Chambers. "You just don't want that kid to give up, especially at such a young age. If you can get them up to grade level, they have a better chance of succeeding and graduating from high school."

Chambers, who runs the program, said language proficiency is one of the biggest obstacles at the school with a 76 percent Hispanic population and 68 percent speaking English as a second language.

"It's not an excuse," he said. "It can never be an excuse. It's our job to educate them. These kids can do it."

After four years of the program, along with a morning program aimed to help students who are in the first stages of learning the language, the school is seeing results as well. The school made adequate yearly progress this year under No Child Left Behind.

Other programs are available throughout the district, said associate superintendent Sue Keema, as well as before- and after-school tutoring.

She said multiple assessments are used to determine the exact area where a student is struggling - from fluency, where a student can't read smoothly, to phonemic awareness, where a student can't sound out a new word - and tutors work on that specific skill.

Emphasis is placed on getting the younger students reading as the foundation to continue their education.

"In kindergarten, first and second grades, it's learn to read," she said. "You want to get that process completed by the third grade so they can start reading to learn."

However, programs continue beyond elementary school, she said.

At the middle and high schools, a computerized program called Read 180 is available to help struggling readers.

"The goal is to get them reading by the third grade, but if you can't do that, you just keep working on it," she said.

At Empire, students spend the first 15 minutes eating a snack, then the next hour and a half in classes.

Chambers said he hopes to eventually add field trips to help expand their vocabulary through experience.

Gayle Magee, who teaches the robotics class, said reading isn't an obvious element, but it is the underlying skill needed

"They're following directions, so they really have to focus and go step by step," she said. "It's very precise."

And it captures students' attention while teaching them.

"They're having fun, but they're really doing math, science, engineering and technology," she said. "It's all of that."

And they're work is paying off.

"They help me with my homework in case I don't understand it," said Lissette Garcia, 9. "I have been doing better in school."

BKOUT

Jan Whitemore, director of the Carson City Literacy Volunteers, is extending the program to tutor children who struggle with reading. For more information, call her at 885-1010.