Granite pupils getting a jump

WEST VALLEY — Summer break can be a time when students lag in learning. But at six Granite District schools, it's a time for a jump-start.

Students learning English as a second language have been taking three- and four-week language and math intensive courses, and district officials say they're blossoming. Some have climbed a full year in their reading level.

Around 400 students in the district enrolled in the Jump On Reading program. Some programs started right after school ended in June. Monroe, where two-thirds of the students are learning English as a second language and 100 are enrolled in the four-week program, wrapped up its session Monday.

Most participants are in the lowest levels of English proficiency. Whereas the students might feel intimidated to practice English skills in a packed classroom of native speakers, here they're more able to excel.

"The peer pressure is it's OK to learn English, it's OK to make mistakes and it's OK to have fun," said Paul Ross, district assistant director of educational equity. "The kids will learn English and just make amazing progress."

"Our discipline problems in the summer program are nil," he added. "It's really impressive."

Students learning English as a second language face academic difficulties. Under No Child Left Behind, they are among groups whose achievements schools must answer for.

Typically, English language learners spend up to 18 months in what Ross calls a silent period, when they acquire language. But when they're in Jump on Reading, they come out of their shells, he said.

In Granite, teachers at Oquirrh Hills, Western Hills, West Kearns, Pioneer, Lincoln and Monroe elementary schools invite students to the program, now in its fifth year.

At Monroe, about 100 students, whose native languages range from Spanish to Swahili, participated, said Peggy Henrie, the school's alternative language program lead teacher. Each grade has 15 to 20 students, a teacher and an aide. The program is funded with district and federal Title I money set aside for low-income schools.

"We're improving in reading and math both. I believe all our scores went up," said teacher Pat Swigart, who is working with incoming fourth-graders. "This gives them a real chance to catch up."

Children learn using computers, by reading and writing and through hands-on activities. Representatives from Lowe's home-improvement store helped them build tic-tac-toe boxes and race cars this week.

The students take tests at the beginning and end of the course. Data so far have been collected on four participating schools.

At Western Hills Elementary, 90 percent of students showed improvement in reading and 62 percent jumped in math, said Rosselis Cabanillas, district educational equity teacher specialist. At West Kearns, 76 percent improved both in reading and math. At Lincoln, 61 percent rose in reading and 70 percent jumped in math. At Lake Ridge, 36.5 percent improved in reading and 53 percent got better in math.

"What we want to do is, when they start school, they can be a little ahead," Cabanillas said.

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com