Oxford’s LeapFrog Program Helping Children Gain Ground on Literacy
On February 6th, 2019 the Ole Miss men’s basketball team hosted a #Fight4Literacy Game presented by International Paper.
The coaching staff wore green to promote childhood reading and fans were invited to make donations to help local students become better readers.
With $8,700 raised, hundreds of kids across the state received critical literacy support.
“We’re so much more than a literacy program.” - Executive Director Teresa Adams.
The mission of Leap Frog is to provide a nurturing environment in which “at-risk” students can develop and enhance necessary skills for academic success, build productive, ongoing relationships with adults, and improve their self-esteem. Students also gain mentorship from college students, witness the possibilities higher education and scholarship can offer
“Students enrolled in the Leap Frog program are working hard to improve their reading literacy skills,” said Leap Frog Board President Chip Bolten. “Students, their caregivers and families, and their volunteer tutors have made a commitment to do the work and keep learning outside of school. They come here to do that work and to be mentored, most likely by a college student, so they can see what strong literacy skills can do for them, how it pays off in life.”
Leap Frog provides a nurturing environment in which at-risk first-, second-, and third-graders can improve their reading through the use of one-on-one tutoring with trained volunteers. Leap Frog also strives to provide enrichment activities to help incorporate new experiences into the students’ lives and encourage healthy lifestyles. In the 2019-20 school year, we hope to reduce the percentage of low growth students by 10% as measured by the STAR reading test given in each of the school systems Leap Frog serves and have 75% of our third-graders pass the State Reading Gate test.
Leap Frog has been able to significantly increase the academic achievement of the students in our program. For example, in the 2018/2019 school year, 73% of our students made above average progress compared to students who began the school year with similar achievement scores.
“We’re so much more than a literacy program,” said Executive Director Teresa Adams. “Literacy is the focus of the work, but they also get time to talk with a young adult who can be a positive influence, they get a healthy snack, they get enrichment and playtime. Each of these elements is important for their development. For some, it is simply about a consistent presence in their life.”
To learn how you can support or volunteer with The LeapFrog Program, visit theleapfrogprogram.org.
