ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Washington Elementary School celebrated the first graduates from its recently implemented literacy program, which utilizes 40 minutes of extra school day time to work on reading and writing.
Over 70 students at the school, at 1421 West Street, graduated from the program as parents and staff filled the school’s auditorium to congratulate them.
Principal Dr. Angelique Malone said the vision for the “P-40 Literacy Power Hour” took shape last year, when the administration learned the school day would be extended by 40 minutes.
“We wanted to make sure we were using that time in a very meaningful and impactful way,” she said. “Our data showed that we had some gaps and deficits in literacy, and it was like, ‘well, how can we use that [extra] time right, to close gaps and prevent gaps in our younger grade levels?’”
The P-40 program groups students by literacy skill level and works with them in small groups, practicing reading and writing, helping them graduate from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”