What would you do if you got a phone call from a major league baseball player? Well, that’s what happened to Jenny Kinch, a local teacher from Philadelphia.
Jen learned that she would be escorting one of her top students to Citizens Bank Park on June 10th when the Phillies play the Chicago Cubs. The 7th grade student, Mario Diego, was selected out of more than 100,000 worthy applicants as a ‘Most Improved Reader’ in his age group for the Be a Phanatic About Reading Program.
Mario will get to go down to the field and visit the home team dugout with the other winners, to meet the players and later dance with the Phillie Phanatic himself! His award comes with free tickets to the game as well as a trophy for his improved reading accomplishment.
“When I entered our class in this reading challenge I was told there were a lot of participants, and it didn’t seem all that likely a student of mine would win,” Jenny said. “So I developed a reading challenge of our own in order to increase the chances that each student could be successful, and I included reading prizes as incentives along the way. Mario has now read nearly 20 books this year - all on his own - and we’re very proud of his achievement!”
Students in ELL have really taken off with reading this year, and one source of excitement has to do with the possibility that this reading challenge can be shared as a teaching model to benefit ELL students everywhere.
Mario was not really an eager reader at the beginning of the year and his homework grades, unfortunately, reflected that fact. He’s now become a voracious reader, and has recently picked up on the Hunger Games Trilogy. He read the books first in Spanish, and then in English as a way to reinforce comprehension and retention.
ELL and ESL students need extra help understanding the complexities of the English language. Research shows when ESL students are taught the 42 sounds of English, and the corresponding written code effectively, they can successfully learn the English language. Additionally, vocabulary development and pronunciation are critical to achieving fluency.
Learn more by signing up for the free Online Teacher Training course >
Courtesy of the West Chester Area School District and Westchester.Patch.com