Summer Literacy Program Scheduled
Contact: Kay Hyatt, (207) 581-2761
ORONO, Maine — Children in grades kindergarten-12 can boost their reading and writing skills during a University of Maine summer program taking place June 26-July 27 at Old Town Elementary School. Designed for area students who would benefit from additional literacy instruction, the program is a long-standing tradition of the UMaine College of Education and Human Development.
Students work with experienced teachers who also are completing graduate studies in literacy at UMaine. Daily sessions run from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Over the five-week period, teachers develop a profile of each student’s strengths and needs in reading and writing, as well as recommendations, for parents to share with teachers in the fall.
Students in grades K-5 receive two and a half hours of literacy instruction daily, work in small classroom settings, participate in a variety of reading and writing activities, and have individual tutoring. Students in grades 6-12 meet by appointment for one-on-one individualized literacy tutoring twice a week. These one and a half-hour sessions are held between 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Research indicates that students having difficulty with literacy learning often are able to maintain and even gain skills if they have opportunities to continue reading and writing over the summer break, according to program director Jane Wellman-Little, a veteran public school teacher and UMaine instructor.
A basic tenet of the program is that literacy skills develop most rapidly when children are surrounded by books and by people who love to read and write, says Wellman-Little, and that’s how the summer program is conducted.
The program is operated on a first-come, first-served basis, and the number of participants is limited to ensure small groups and optimum teacher-student ratio. The fee is $200. Scholarships are available. For more information, contact Jane Wellman-Little at 581-3687.