Next Generation Reading Program Closing the Literacy Gap One Family at a Time

                                                       

Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy offers traditional diploma programming through Summit
Personalized Learning, an instructional program that integrates high-quality, individualized digital learning in all core subjects; offering specialized programming to prepare our students for college and the workplace; empowering our young adults with the career skills to succeed in the real world. In addition to vocational training such as cosmetology, barbering and culinary arts, Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy offers a External diploma programs for students 22 and older. Our commitment to our students goes beyond academic achievement, we empower our students’ transition to life after receiving a high school diploma and certification.

A significant number of our students are parents of school aged children. Some students are eligible for the

day care at Ballou STAY while others must find child care in the surrounding community. This year we started a new early childhood education program to help grow the field. Students will work to receive their certification, so that they can teach in childhood centers. We currently have 10 students and hope to grow

this program by the end of the year.

The Inspiration for Ballou STAY Next Generation Reading Program

According to the 2017 Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report, researchers have found that only about 40 percent of parents read aloud to their babies in the first three months. Although more families read aloud as children get older, only about 60 percent read aloud regularly (5-7 days a week) with their preschoolers (3-5 years old). By kindergarten, a third of children lack the basic skills, so they can learn to read. Without strong reading skills, many students will struggle academically at an early age and this only intensifies as students move on to secondary school. At Ballou STAY, we see these challenges on a daily basis. A ma- jority of our students who arrive to us under credit and overage acknowledge they dropped out because of difficulties with reading in elementary school.

We at Ballou STAY believe that by providing this next generation with access to a variety of children’s books, along with monthly reading opportunities for parents and their children, we can decrease the literacy gap for our school community.

For information about the Next Generation Reading Program or Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy, please visit https://www.balloustay.com/ or contact the program coordinators:

Stefanie Dreizen Instructional Coach, Literacy at [email protected] Linda Litweiler, Social Worker at [email protected].