TEXARKANA, Ark. - The school district here will address literacy challenges with a $99,500 subgrant it received from the Arkansas Department of Education.
Texarkana, Arkansas, School District will use the grant to focus on four major areas: family literacy, a summer reading program, professional development for teachers and reading instructional materials for classrooms.
TASD is one of 128 schools and districts in the state that will receive subgrant funds to support literacy. The Arkansas Department of Education received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $38 million for the Arkansas Comprehensive Literacy State Development Program.
Public Relations Director Dr. Genia Bullock said the district will purchase both print and e-books to increase student access to reading materials at home. Also, a committee of teachers and leaders are designing an independent reading initiative to encourage and motivate students to read outside of school requirements.
"Studies show that reading for pleasure makes a big difference in a child's academic performance," Bullock said. "Likewise, evidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perform better in reading tests than those who do not but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures."
Grade K-12 literacy teachers will receive "The New Art and Science of Teaching Reading" by Robert Marzano, which presents a reading model.
"The model offers a wide-ranging approach that addresses how to articulate content in the reading classroom, provides specific instructional strategies for the teaching of reading, and addresses reading-related issues that might arise in the classroom," Bullock said. "Online professional development will be included in the book study."