Walt Disney once said, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” With the goal of having every Hopkinson Elementary School student reading at grade level, the Hopkinson Intensive Reading Lab (IRL) was launched in November.
The IRL has serviced over 60 Hopkinson students in grades 1 – 5 since it began. The IRL operates four days a week and provides small group instruction for students in specific targeted areas of reading instruction during the day and after school on Wednesdays. With funds donated by the Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF), two credentialed teachers provide instruction in decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
The IRL has seen tremendous success in improving the reading grade level competency of the students it services. In a thirteen-week instructional period, 36 students grew a total of 127 levels, with an average student growth of 3.52 levels, a little more than a full grade level of reading growth for the average student. The IRL keeps students engagement high by keeping the teacher to student ratio low and incorporating the use of iPads into instruction.
The intervention team at Hopkinson meets regularly to review student assessment data and change the focus of instructional strategies. With the financial assistance from LAEF and the support of the Hopkinson staff, parent community, and Husky students, Hopkinson continues to “Ignite Unlimited Possibilities for Students.”