Cool in School segment, K-Skillbuilders (Kare 11)

Kare-11 Cool in School: K-Skillbuilders

NEWS RELEASE September 25, 2013 MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Peters Communications Coordinator Phone: (763) 506-1269 Email: heather.peters@anoka.k12.mn.us

Volunteers Help Kindergarten Students Strengthen Literacy and Math Skills New training process equips volunteers with tactics to support elementary curriculum

ANOKA, MINN. – Over 110 community members, parents, grandparents, business leaders and retirees gathered at the Anoka-­‐Hennepin Schools Educational Service Center last week to learn how to make the most of their time volunteering in elementary schools.

Volunteer Services collaborated with school district curriculum staff to develop a new training process which aims to equip volunteers with the tactics needed to help kindergarten students develop lifelong literacy and math skills.

The training process has been dubbed “K-­‐Skillbuilders,” and is comprised of a variety of activities that volunteers can practice with students one-­‐on-­‐one in the classroom.

“The activities that volunteers will be working on with the kindergarten students align with the elementary school curriculum,” said Sue Archbold, Volunteer Services Supervisor. “We hope that this training will strengthen the time that our volunteers have with the students and we will see increased achievement as the students move on in school.”

Activities include reading aloud, tracing the alphabet, sorting and finding letters, listening to sounds, counting and building number recognition. The activities reinforce the skills that classroom teachers have already introduced to kindergarteners through lesson plans. The benefit is that the trained volunteers will be able to respond to students’ individual needs as requested by the classroom teacher.

Associate Superintendent for Elementary Schools, Dr. Mary E. Wolverton, said that the K-­‐Skillbuilder program will be evaluated by both teachers and volunteers with the goal of expanding the program to support students in each grade level at Anoka-­‐Hennepin elementary schools in the future.

K-­‐Skillbuilders also provides opportunities for families to work with children on structured activities outside of school. Kim Blake, a parent who has been volunteering at Monroe Elementary School for over five years, was excited to start implementing what she learned at the training session in the classroom this year. “Volunteering is an opportunity for me to get to know the teachers and the lessons and learn how to better support my own children at home,” she said.

Additional volunteer training sessions will be offered in October. To learn more about volunteering in Anoka-­‐ Hennepin Schools, contact your school of interest or Anoka-­‐Hennepin Schools Volunteer Services at 763-­‐506-­‐1585.

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