What better way to celebrate the love of literacy than with the youth. Rose Metts, Ph.D., of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures, along with students of Savannah State University (SSU) felt the same way when they decided to start a literacy program in spring 2012. The literacy program began at Haven Elementary School, but then moved to Thunderbolt Elementary School soon after.
Metts, along with Neesha Navare, Ph.D., Michele Rozga, Ph.D. and Janet Spencer, M.A. of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures started the Thunderbolt Literacy Program. In preparation for the literacy program, the first-grade teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary were consulted in December 2015. From January to April 2016, Metts, Navare, Rozga and Spencer visited the first-grade classes weekly and read Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Along with reading, they engaged the students in games that included upper-level vocabulary, created art based on the story, and distributed foods that were mentioned in the story. They made the book a reality for the students. Metts created a memento book for each student, and it included statements and photographs of the Savannah State professors. “The visits made every Wednesday the brightest day of the week,” said Navare.
Now, you can’t end the classroom activities without a little fun, right? Ramona Fun Day was just the way to end a great semester for the students. On April 29, 74 first-grade students and five teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary, one parent, 12 SSU student helpers, and four SSU professors gathered in the Willcox-Wiley gymnasium to celebrate Ramona Fun Day.
The event got its name from the book the professors had been reading to the students all semester long. Ramona Fun Day was designed to reinforce the first-grade students’ levels of reading engagement and understanding through interactive games and activities. The goal is to increase the degree to which first-graders comprehend and retain information from books, while encouraging them to continue mastering their reading skills and allowing them to engage with positive, enthusiastic Savannah State students in hopes of instilling a long-term goal of attending college.
SSU students played their part in making this event worthwhile for the younger students. Students were involved in vocabulary games, obstacle courses to build teamwork and trust and reflective writing exercises. All in all, the first-grade students were impressed with the fun activities. “Turn the bus around and play the games all over again,” said one student as they headed back to school. “This was a wonderful event and I hope that we can do it again,” said Spencer.
