Re-imagine High Impact Tutoring and Extended Learning Opportunities 

For too many students, summer is a time of learning regression. This can be particularly devastating in light of the pandemic’s impact on student learning. Increasingly, school districts are taking proactive steps to remediate reading difficulties by utilizing the summer months to provide intensive, sensory-cognitive instruction to help close gaps. 

Fort Smith Public Schools in Arkansas established intensive summer reading camps as one component in their plan to address reading struggles across the district. Students scoring below the 25th percentile on end-of-year progress monitoring assessments were provided the opportunity to participate. The district implemented Instruction five days per week, four hours per day for one month. District staff trained by Lindamood-Bell provided the instruction. Students struggling with reading because of deficits in phonemic awareness and word recognition received instruction that utilized the Seeing Stars program. Students struggling with reading comprehension received instruction that used the Visualizing and Verbalizing program.

Students were provided breakfast and daily and weekly prizes for maintaining attendance. However, the ability to rapidly see progress brought the students back each day, willing to give up their precious summer break to work on the most challenging task they faced in school. The end-of-instruction results showed students receiving Seeing Stars instruction made large standard score growth in all areas of reading, including rate, accuracy, and fluency. Students receiving VV instruction moved from below normal into the normal range in reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. 

Teachers also had the unique opportunity to receive the type of professional development they would rarely access at any other time in their careers. Teachers rotated groups each hour, and Lindamood-Bell staff regularly supported them by using online technology to participate directly in group instruction. Lindamod-Bell staff modeled lessons, co-taught, and provided feedback to teachers in real-time, and then debriefed daily through collaborative sessions after instruction had ended. Teachers had the opportunity to learn and develop skills in a specific, scientifically-based reading remediation program without worrying about the other responsibilities that typically occur during a school day. 

The impact of the intensive reading camps was twofold: most importantly, students made dramatic changes to their reading ability and were ready to access far more grade-level content at the beginning of the school year; additionally, teachers could begin the school year with new, well-developed skills to help close gaps with other struggling readers. 

Lindamood-Bell partners with schools each summer to provide intensive reading camps and professional development. Key components include:

• Online or in-person teacher workshops in programs supported by the science of reading
• Extended learning opportunities to close the achievement gap and accelerate reading skills
• High-impact tutoring in evidence-based programs
• Best practices in teacher professional development

Watch this dynamic online small-group instruction in action. Our reading coaches work online with teachers to provide job-embedded professional development.

Schedule a free consultation to discuss your summer school plans or to request a customized proposal. 

Contact us at US: (800) 233-1819,  International: +1 (805) 541-3836 or pd.solutions@lindamoodbell.com