Education Articles:

READING FOR GROWTH AND FUN [MORE]

By Gail Short

For 33 years, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Education has sponsored the Children’s Creative Learning Center, a summer enrichment program for children, ages 4-12, designed to help build students’ understanding of all school subjects, including math, reading and science, along with aesthetic education, which includes art, music, dance, creative writing and drama.

The center is open to children throughout Jefferson and Shelby counties. Children enrolled in the eight-week, half-day program can select their own daily plan of study and work at their own pace. The center even offers a program for special education students ages 4-8.

Maryann Manning, Ed.D., a UAB professor of elementary education, and Anarella Cellitti, Ph.D., a UAB associate professor of early childhood education, conduct pre- and post-testing of children in reading and language development. Last summer’s evaluation revealed that every child who has attended the program was found to have made gains when they attended for 30 days or more.

“Our model is enrichment rather than remediation,” Kirkland said. “Enrichment builds on what children can do, and a remediation model builds on what children cannot do. It’s a different model of looking at how children learn.”

Research has shown that summer learning programs are extremely important tools for at-risk students, Kirkland said. The children receive two hours of reading and language instruction to build their language and literacy skills. The instruction is followed by enrichment activities such as art and music. At the end of the summer, UAB faculty conduct evaluations to determine the students’ progress.

All of the sessions are taught by master teachers, selected by UAB faculty from area schools, with additional help from graduate students in the UAB School of Education who are pursuing their master’s, Ed.S., or doctoral degrees.

Many of the classes are built around themes. In 2003, the theme was “America the Beautiful.” In 2004, the workshops included topics such as “Wild Things” where children learned about the rainforest and “Poetry Café,” where students explored ways to express themselves through poetry and developed an appreciation for multiple genres of poetry.

Traditionally classes were held at several elementary schools throughout Jefferson and Shelby counties. In 2004, the Creative Learning Center developed programs for at-risk students and held those classes at Green Valley Elementary School in Hoover and Jonesboro Elementary School in Bessemer. UAB Associate Professor Lynn Kirkland, Ed.D., who directs the center, said Hoover City School officials requested that the program be expanded to help children who were having trouble achieving in school. In all, about 600 students took part in the total program.

Of the 125 children who attended the Creative Learning Center at Green Valley Elementary, 45 were Latino children who were classified as English Language Learners (ELL). Kirkland said the instructors at Green Valley Elementary incorporated Spanish into the program to make the ELL students more comfortable. As much as possible, both English and Spanish were used in instruction.

“It makes them more comfortable with trying the English language,” Kirkland said. “Even the other children participating in the program have loved learning Spanish words.”

The Green Valley program was supported with a $5,000 grant from Publix Super Markets Charities and $75,000, plus free transportation from the Hoover Board of Education. The Bessemer City Board of Education funded the Jonesboro program. Monies from a Publix Supermarkets’ grant were used also to fund parent workshops and biweekly newsletters that provided program information and tips for parents on how to help children succeed in school. The newsletters were published in English and Spanish.

For more information about the Creative Learning Center, contact Lynn Kirkland, Ed.D., at 205-934-5371.