“Coach a child-change a life.”
This is what the One to One Reading Program has done since 2008 by pairing over 2,300 elementary students on a “one to one” basis with community volunteers to work on reading skills. One to One is a collaborative effort between the community and the schools within the community.
One to One is based on engagement, a child’s interest and motivation. At the heart of this initiative is the relationship between a coach and a child.
The Northern Kentucky Education Council program administrator for One to One Reading is excited to launch One to One Math this month. The program will focus on second grade students in four elementary schools including Lincoln (Dayton), Beechgrove (Kenton County), Beechwood and Williamstown.
Math proficiency is critical not only for individual academic and life success, but the economic success of the region. Early intervention to increase educational attainment will support the pipeline to adequately prepare students for the 21st Century workforce.
“The discipline of mind that children develop in math class carries over into everyday life,” said Beechwood Elementary Principal Jamie Baker. “Math can also provide a vehicle through which critical-thinking skills are practiced and refined. Given the demands and critical importance of assuring that every child meet grade level proficiency in math, it is difficult for educators to address this deficit alone. “
One to One: Practicing Math with Students, a companion program to One to One Reading, uses a similar approach for recruitment, training and placement of math tutors or “coaches”. Coaches complete a comprehensive four-hour training focused on best practice strategies and a structured curriculum that emphasizes well-defined lesson plans.
Varied manipulative materials and built-in assessments are utilized to engage students and measure progress. Each coach works with the same student once a week for a thirty-five-minute session.
Communication with the schools is sustained across the program; teachers provide ongoing feedback to coaches on student progress.
Polly Lusk Page, NKYEC Executive Director states the key foundation for this program emphasizing that “One to One is based on the premise that: all children can do mathematics, all children begin school with some exposure to patterns and counting, and all children develop or construct mathematical proficiency at different rates and therefore need different lengths of time to reach proficiency. Students who are struggling or delayed with their math achievement can benefit from the support coaches provide as a volunteer math coach.”
Pre-registration is required for the training session on Monday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Central Bank Turfway Road in Florence. For more information or to register for training, contact ncostello@nkyec.org, (859) 282-9214.
From The Northern Kentucky Education Council