Turning a 180
Turning a 180
Reading program boosts Edwin Loe students
By Jerry W. Kram
Reading is fundamental, the old public service announcements used to say. Without good reading skills to build on, it is nearly impossible for students to pick up the knowledge they need to master subjects like social studies and science.
There are a significant number of students in the New Town School system who are well behind where they should be in reading skills. That’s why the school board approved investing tens of thousands of dollars in a program called Read 180.
“Read 180 is a reading intervention program,” said Elaine Dennis, who managed the program at the Edwin Loe Elementary School this year. “It helps the students who are behind to get up where they are supposed to be.”
Dennis and Selina Nelson at the Middle School have used the program this year. It combines computer testing of students to discover their reading level with fun and interesting books to get the students interested in reading. As students get better at reading, the computer matches them with more challenging material. Along with a phonics program that prepares students for Read 180, there were 49 students entered in the program.
