| |
We have many anecdotal stories about young women making important connections through literature discussions and poetry writing. We also have documented results from our evaluation consultant showing that participation in our program increases interest and engagement in reading and writing. Some of the most helpful feedback, however, comes from teachers at collaborating schools.
Recently, we interviewed teachers at Theolene Simpson Academy for Young Women, the only Chicago Public School exclusively designed for pregnant and parenting teens, to get their perspective on our three weekly book groups there. They concurred with our survey findings, indicating that they had girls in their classes who now "crave reading." They unanimously declared that they saw an improvement in both the fluency and comprehension levels of their students.
According to one teacher, "Fluency and comprehension only come after engagement, and the book group knows how to engage the students in reading." Another teacher praised the program for not making low-level readers feel self-conscious or stupid. "In the book groups, girls get to read things that they really want to read. They don't feel like babies or 'non-readers' who need some sort of special treatment." She concluded her interview by saying, "The whole experience has shaped my work here at Simpson so much... I think every girl should have a chance to be in a group like this."
One teacher re-evaluated his own curriculum after exposure to our program model: "When you watch the students first start book group, it's apparent that most of them have never opened a book that is in their own vernacular, one that shows them an image of themselves in the literature." Taking a cue, he rethought his own book choices for the year: "There's no point using books from the standard canon and trying to analyze texts in a traditional way if your students don’t want to read the books in the first place," he said.
Back to Programs
|
|
