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STORIES of SUMMER School of Education Hosts Reading Institute for Rising Third-Graders Visit High Point University’s School of Education and you’ll find not only undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, but also students in elementary, middle and high school. HPU education majors learn by doing, and that means working with youth long before they graduate. One example is the Summer Reading Institute, organized by HPU education master’s students and Oak Hill Elementary. The goal: to help rising third-graders maintain and build upon what they learned during the school year over the summer. The elementary students visited HPU each morning to be tutored by the graduate students. Their days began with a group reading before breaking off into smaller groups for targeted lessons. “Working with the students is very rewarding,” said Alyssa Springer, an education master’s student. “It is so wonderful to see them so excited about reading. They went into third grade more prepared than they were before.”
Afternoons were filled with group STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lessons. Everything was designed by the HPU graduate students to be hands-on and interactive in order to keep the children engaged. “Not only am I teaching rising third-graders, but I am collaborating with colleagues, developing lesson plans and assuming all roles of an educator,” said HPU student Marith McMahon. “Enhancing learning experiences for these young readers, writers and scientists makes this program purposeful and rewarding.” “The teachers worked hard preparing reading materials, writing activities and science experiments for the summer,” said Dr. Leslie Cavendish, assistant professor of education. “Our institute had great energy, and all of the children told us how much they enjoyed themselves while learning.” ■
Enhancing learning experiences for these young readers, writers and scientists makes this program purposeful and rewarding. – HPU student Marith McMahon
82 | highpoint.edu