2015 Summer Program Highlights and Results
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For six weeks this summer, ENHE provided literacy instruction to 78 students from Kindergarten-4th grade, almost double the number we normally serve! Our 2nd-4th grade students attended programs at St. Ann's Episcopal Church, while our partnership with Ross Early Learning Center (Ross ELC) allowed our K-1st grade students to attend programs at Ross ELC.
ENHE programs focus on 5 core components that are supported by instruction, projects, activities, field trips, and Guest Readers: |
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TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESULTS!
- 95% of our students (74 out of 78) either maintained their current reading levels or showed gains in at least 3 assessment areas!
- 98% of families who completed an end-of-summer program survey report that they are better able to help their children learn to read because they participated in ENHE.
- Every student took home at least one book each day of the program, for a total of at least 29 books per student, and 71% of our families read nightly with their children and recorded their reading in a log for at least 50% of program days.
WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAMS SPECIAL?
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Individualized Literacy Instruction
Literacy instruction is individualized throughout the program. Students were pre-assessed and lessons were designed around the skills that each individual student needed. In small groups of 3-7 students, each student participated in guided reading groups at their appropriate text level and received individualized instructions in phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight word instruction. Students also participated in a Reading Buddies program that paired students 1-on-1 with volunteers on their individual learning plan, designed and monitored by the ENHE Lead Teacher. "My Family, My Community, My World" Every activity offered during the summer program was designed to complement the theme of "My Family, My Community, My World". Students learned to dialogue about their role as individuals in civic life. ENHE provided a safe place to talk about the difficult issues and complicated world we live in. We focused on helping our students become active citizens of their community and of the world! Each week students engaged in inquiry on a specific essential question linked to the theme “My Family, My Community, My World” by reading excellent children’s literature, interacting with community Guest Readers, participating in project-based learning, and taking field trips to seek first-hand knowledge. |
Social Emotional Learning
Our program is crafted to: 1) promote emotional and physical safety, 2) encourage relationship building, 3) foster meaningful youth participation, 4) provide opportunities for building purpose, and 5) engage our youth in learning experiences that build valuable lessons. Each day a different character education focus is highlighted for instruction, in Harambee (a program-wide 'coming together' time), classroom morning meetings, small groups, and activity time. Family ENHE staff is dedicated to building relationships with both students and their families. Family members were encouraged to join us on field trips and to volunteer with the program. A unique aspect of our program is that we have a School Year follow-up program, so our relationships continue to develop with our families and students during the school year through phone calls, home visits, and workshops. Fun All parts of our program are designed to be fun--it is summer after all! Reading groups were individualized and used creative approaches to keep students engaged. Teachers used technology (iPads), music, and arts and crafts to keep learning fresh and exciting. Weekly field trips and weekly water are always a favorite! |
Books, Books, and More Books!
Every week, each class did an in-depth reading of a Weekly Theme Book, then took that book home on Fridays to
build their home libraries. Students also took home at least 1 new book every day, courtesy of Flowerpot Press and First Book, for a total of at least 29 books for each student overall!
Every week, each class did an in-depth reading of a Weekly Theme Book, then took that book home on Fridays to
build their home libraries. Students also took home at least 1 new book every day, courtesy of Flowerpot Press and First Book, for a total of at least 29 books for each student overall!
WHAT DID OUR STUDENTS DO THIS SUMMER?
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Week 1: "What makes a family? What makes a community? What makes a World?" (with a focus on the East Nashville neighborhood).
We kicked our program into high gear with students exploring East Nashville and working with author Colin Walsh to write a book about an East Nashville adventure. Our first Field Trip Friday was to beat the heat at Cumberland Water Park! Our Guest Readers this week included a group of Nashville Fire Department firefighters reading "Curious George and the Firefighters" and Judge Casey Moreland reading "Something Beautiful" by Sharon Dennis. Other Guest Readers included Metro Councilman Anthony Davis and Pat Hayes of Flowerpot Press. Week 2: "How has family/community/world changed and how has it stayed the same? How might it change in the future?" (with a focus on sustainability and the environment). The Metro Nashville Police Horse-Mounted Patrol, WSMV-TV Channel 4's Adrianne Flores, author Helen Hemphill, and the Nashville Ballet's Gerald Watson all visited to guest read, while staff from Turnip Green Creative Reuse and Susannah Fotopoulos, founder and director of Plant the Seed TN, taught students about sustainability. Students picked carrots in the Plant the Seed garden, met urban chickens, and learned about wild birds and habitats at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary. Students learned to be environmentally conscious citizens and how to care for the natural world! Week 3: "What are the roles and responsibilities of people in a family/community/world?" (with a focus on government). We looked at what government is and what government officials do just in time for July 4th! Students took a tour of beautiful downtown Nashville, visited City Council Chambers with Mayor Karl Dean, who read Dr. Seuss' "Yertle the Turtle", and were visited by First Lady Crissy Haslam. Mayor Dean and First Lady Haslam shared why government is important and how students can be socially responsible citizens. Classes worked to prepare questions for a mock debate between District 6 council candidates, Brett Withers and Peter Westerholm. Students also completed an art project, the Silhouette Cypher Project, with artist Brandon Donahue. In mural form, students filled in silhouettes of their bodies with images, words, and iconography of their aspirations and the meaning of family and community. These murals will eventually be hung up to be enjoyed somewhere in the East Nashville community! |
Week 4: "What is the role of sports in your family/community/world?"
During Week 4 students visited with athletes from all kinds of sports and walks of life, including ENHE family member and college basketball player Kareem Wright, New York Jets football player Wesley Johnson and Chicago Bears player Kyle Woestmann, and Nashville Predators Hockey staff. Lelan Statom, Channel 5 News meteorologist, was a Guest Reader, and we had a great time on our trip to Vanderbilt University Athletics Field to see the athletics facilities. We even got to play games on their soccer field! Week 5: "How are families/communities/parts of the world the same? How are they different?" (with a focus on Asia). For Week 5 students got to explore the wider world, reading books like "My Friendly Chicken and Me" by Mem Fox and "All the Colors of the Earth" by Sheila Hamanaka. Our field trip this week was to the Global Education Center Interactive Museum on China/Japan, where students learned about Chinese and Japanese culture. Preparing for the end of summer, students practiced their end-of-program musical theatre performances based on books read during the summer and worked on Tomato Arts projects for the East Nashville Tomato Arts Festival held August 15th! Week 6: "What does your family/community/part of the world do for fun?" Week 6 was all about fun! Students worked with the Street Theatre Company and Eric Dozier Music and Education to create an original musical production based on the books they read this summer, funded by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and performed on July 23rd for teachers, families, and friends. The final day of the program was an on-site Fun Day with water slides, a magician and balloon artist, food, and face painting! |
2015 GUEST READERS
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