URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2015_Melissa-McCarthy

The mission of the URI After School Literacy Program is to combine university teaching and community service in a way that benefits multiple constituents. - Theresa Deeney

Theresa Deeney Associate Professor, School of Educat ion

In at least one turnaround, Deeney notes, a young girl enrolled in the program now wishes to become a reading teacher. “That’s the highest form of praise,” says Deeney. Some parents initially worry that the program may be too much of a commitment after a full day of school. But, one of Deeney’s goals is to promote a fun and relaxed learning environment without the structure and pressures of school. The last 20-30 minutes of each weekly session is dedicated to special projects determined by each child. One first- grade boy researched animals through online e-books and magazines with text-to-speech functions. He then wrote a book about them using “Educreations,” an education application that allowed him to find photos of animals, write a sentence about them, and then record his voice reading it. This became a book for others in the program to read or listen to. Through this process, he was applying his growing literacy skills. “It’s this out-of-the-box teaching that boosts students’ self-esteem and confidence in the end. The growth we can’t measure is in some ways more important,” says Deeney. “Disabilities are invisible, and sometimes the progress isn’t something you can show on a piece of paper.”

An end-of-year celebration gives the students an opportunity to shine and showcase their new proficiencies and skills in many different ways. “Our little guy who wrote the animal book displayed it on the smartboard. After his recorded reading, he answered questions from the group,” says Deeney. Students have used their literacy skills in so many ways, from creating a game along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons, to chronicling the life and music of Taylor Swift, to creating a CSI “who-done-it” mystery. “Choice and ownership are powerful motivators for all students, but particularly for students who struggle,” says Deeney. “Imagine the feeling of success that comes from showing such innovative work to others!” Deeney says the literacy program helps students discover their voices and allows them to see that they are not alone in their struggles. The youngsters gain advocacy skills and learn to speak up on their behalf. “They find that they may have to learn to read or write a little differently,” Deeney says. “And that’s okay.”

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