REACH for the Stars in Huntington
Weekly enrichment classes in the four Huntington School District primary grade level libraries have been broadening the educational horizons of third and fourth graders.
The Huntington School District's REACH program grew out of a desire for more enrichment opportunities for primary grade level students. SEARCH program chairperson-teacher Maryann Daly has worked closely with librarians Ellen Blanchard, Denise Smith, Cindy Tietjen and Georganne White to devise and implement interesting and meaningful classes.
SEARCH (Scholastic Enrichment and Resource for the Children in Huntington) is multi-faceted with several different programs and events falling under its wide umbrella. REACH (Research and Enrichment Activities for the Children in Huntington) was specifically designed to provide hands-on learning activities.
Debuting this year for fourth graders is the Junior Great Books program. It includes many hands-on lessons and activities that alternate with Rubik's Cube math lessons and activities.
"Third graders have been reading and analyzing non-fiction stories and then adapting them into a reader's theater format," Mrs. Daly said. Each group then performs role-playing for one another.
Third graders have also been immersed in a comprehensive "inventions" module, which includes reading about and understanding the importance of inventions and innovations throughout history. For example, learning how to classify fingerprints is just one of the many hands-on science lessons included in this unit.
"To reach children at a young age and actively engage them in math and science hands-on lessons and experiments not covered in the classroom, should not be considered 'an extra' but an important part of their learning experience," Mrs. Daly said. "The library media specialists have always been considered the hub of the school and now these children view these teachers in a new and different way through their weekly REACH classes."
Mrs. Daly asked rhetorically "how many years have we been told that American students can't compete with children from other parts of the world?" She said that "one solution to this is early and consistent exposure to math and science and that is exactly what is happening in our REACH classes each week."
For more information on the district's SEARCH program log onto www.hufsd.edu, click on the link for Resources and then on the SEARCH program tab or go to the Quick Clicks Bar on the website homepage and select the link for eBoards and scroll down to the link for SEARCH.