LSUS Program School of R.O.C.K. Graduates Local Students
June 23, 2011
The LSU Shreveport School of R.O.C.K. (Reading and Organization for Cool Kids) held its commencement ceremony today for 12 local second graders. The three-week program is a partnership between the School Psychology Program at LSUS and the Caddo Parish School Board.
The School of R.O.C.K. provides three hours of tutoring per day by advanced psychology majors and graduate students. The focus of the program is building reading fluency and comprehension, primarily through intense, individualized instruction.
"Classroom teachers rarely have the luxury of working this closely with individual children," explained Dr. Kevin Jones, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, and supervisor of the program. "Our psychology majors try to build positive relationships quickly, while substantially increasing the amount of active learning time."
According to Jones, research indicates that achievement gaps tend to widen during the summer months, so it is important that the community provides its children with structured literacy experiences. The School of R.O.C.K. specifically targets children who are entering the "age of accountability," due to the high stakes testing and increased curriculum demands that begin in third grade. In addition to reading, daily exercises also address written expression, math concepts and strategies, and self-management skills.
This year's School of R.O.C.K. was funded through a competitive grant awarded by the Community Foundation of North Louisiana and other private donations. Over the past three years, more than 65 students have graduated from the program. For more information on School of R.O.C.K., contact Dr. Kevin Jones.
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Media Contact: Dr. Kevin Jones, 318.797.5043 (kevin.jones@lsus.edu)
