Thursday, March 25, 1999
Grants to help kids read
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ERLANGER — Five Kenton County elementary schools have received $50,000 state grants to improve reading programs in the primary grades.
The grants to Kenton, Mary A. Goetz, Piner, Ryland Heights and Visalia elementary schools are the result of state legislation sponsored by Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Erlanger, a retired teacher.
The grant money will be used to fund intensive literacy programs geared at students who are struggling to learn how to read, Mr. Westwood said.
Will expand program
“Reading is the foundation of education,” he said. “The grants will give schools the ability to reach out to kids having difficulty reading before they fall too far behind their peers.”
Visalia, Ryland Heights and Piner worked in concert on applying for the money, which the schools will use to expand a first-grade reading program to the second grade.
The money will pay for staff and materials, according to principals at the schools.
“We have a wonderful program in place,” said Ryland Heights Elementary Principal Dave Shepherd.
The school will double the number of students involved to nearly 30, Mr. Shepherd said.
Early intervention key
“Research shows the sooner you intervene, the betterchance a student has of reading at a greater level, and you really need to intervene before the third grade,” Mr. Shepherd said.
The grant will allow Visalia Elementary to triple the number of students in its early reading program from eight to 24, said Principal Darlene Schaber.
“We already have a program targeting children who are at-risk when it comes to reading in the first grade, and with this grant we can expand the program to offer help to more students,” she said.
Statewide, 43 schools in 30 school districts received $2.2 million in grants from the Early Reading Incentive Grant Program, which was created under the legislation the Kentucky General Assembly passed in 1998.
Mr. Westwood said he will work to add money to the program during the General Assembly's 2000 session, which begins in January.
“As pleased as I am that the literacy program is up and running, there is still much work to be done,” Mr. Westwood said. “Even with a severe time crunch for this first round of grants, there were more than 150 applications.”
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