Not every student who starts kindergarten is actually ready to start school.
Many come from homes where English isn’t the first language, or simply have a hard time with the basics of reading, for a wide variety of reasons.
And, if these young children aren’t given the support they need in their first few years of school, it becomes nearly impossible for them to catch up, even by the time they reach the third grade.
That’s why the Strong Start program, a locally run literacy support program was founded — to help those children who are struggling learn to read, so they can have success in later life.
Machelle Dennison, the new executive director of Strong Start, said the program’s success has been phenomenal.
“All of the Strong Start schools have an evaluation component,” said Denison. “We are getting great success.”
Assessment results for the spring 2009 session, the most recent period for which results are available, show that 87 to 100 per cent of the children made significant, excellent or outstanding gains during the 10-week program.
The program’s success has been so amazing, it is now being adopted in several different school boards throughout the province, and even across the nation.
Not bad for a program that had its start after local philanthropist Lyle S. Hallman noticed the need in 2001.
“He approached the school board, noting that early literacy is a key indicator of a child’s success later in life,” said Dennison.
The timing was perfect. Lynda Sylvester, who was retiring from years as a school principal and classroom teacher, joined with Hallman to develop the Strong Start program.
By developing a variety of materials that include games, worksheets and magnetic letters, Sylvester worked hard to create a program that would use volunteers at local schools, matching them with children in need.
“What’s unique about our program is that it uses about 1,800 volunteers to serve the needs of 2,000 students,” said Dennison.
The program is also supported by the community, with charitable donations coming from a variety of sources, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation.
The Strong Start program actually has several separate components.
The Letters, Sounds and Words program that develops literacy skills based on phonics, is designed for children aged 5 to 7, to help them with the basics of learning to read.
The Get Ready for School Program targets preschoolers who come from families that are relatively new to Canada. Over a 22-week period, these young students are introduced to letters and sounds, but also, perhaps more importantly, are prepared for school, so that they are ready to learn once they enter kindergarten.
This program was developed by Dr. Iuliana Baciu for her PhD thesis at Wilfrid Laurier University.
“These children are at a high risk to not have a positive entry into junior kindergarten,” said Dennison. “They are bound to be behind when they start.
Dennison, who has watched the transformation of some of these young students from the start of the program to its end, said it is truly amazing what can be accomplished.
“You would not believe what has happened in 22 weeks,” said Dennison.
A third program, now in its early stages, is targetting infant literacy, by helping parents gain the skills they need to encourage literacy in their children.
Trained facilitators work with existing baby programs, and provide a variety of tips for families. At the end of the program, families receive a baby literacy toolkit that includes four books, a DVD about early literacy, a literacy-based CD by local children’s musician Ronno, and tips on how to use the toolkit.
“You can help a baby’s brain make connections, and help develop emerging literacy,” said Dennison. “For some people, this is second nature, but for some, it’s not. This provides the tools and instruction on how to interact with your baby to help his or her mind develop.”
The main program, however, is still Letters Sounds and Words, which is operating in all the vast majority of schools in Waterloo Region, including some private schools.
The program generally runs for two sessions during the school year — one for fall, and another in the spring.
In the fall, teachers take the month of September to assess new students, to determine which ones might benefit from the Strong Start program.
They are matched with volunteers who are recruited at the beginning of the school year, often through the first newsletter sent out.
Volunteers receive four hours of training and a manual of instructions for each activity. Strong Start provides all the materials and support to each individual school.
Over a ten-week period, volunteers spend hour-long sessions with the students, coaching them through the program.
Judging by letters on the Strong Start website, the program is fun and rewarding, for both volunteers and children.
Volunteer coach Gillian wrote, in November 2004, that “it is very satisfying to be a volunteer coach as you make decisions and are responsible for the entire ten sessions in the strand. You know that when the child succeeds, you were the one to help him do so!”
Another story shows the program from the perspective of a child. At the end of the 10-week session, participants are rewarded with certificates and a special celebration, often including treats.
At one school, a child’s comment at the end of the ceremony was as follows: “Wow! That was the best time in my whole life!”
For more information on Strong Start, visit www.strongstart.ca, or call your child’s school.