Memphis Teacher Residency utilized summer camp to train teachers and help local children learn to read
The challenge
Educators need to learn how to teach children to read – a professional skill that requires intensive training and time spent with early readers. Learning to read also requires intensive training, and progress can stall if students aren’t engaged with the process year-round. Memphis Teacher Residency sought to meet educator and student needs by adjusting its summer camp curriculum and processes to meet current needs.
The solution
Memphis Teacher Residency trains emerging teachers, and one key component of its training is participation in summer camp programming. With support from the University of Memphis’ #Fight4Literacy Game and an investment from International Paper, MTR purchased a new curriculum to enhance their camp programming for years to come.
Image provided by Memphis Teacher Residency
As MTR incorporated a new curriculum, it enlisted trained educators to participate in their camp programming alongside emerging teachers. Tenured teachers were able to impart real-world lessons, best practices and tips on the younger teachers going through MTR’s programming. The experiential lessons provided by experienced teachers combined with the educator materials in the curriculum created an impactful experience these teachers will carry into their classrooms for years to come.
MTR also purchased specialized face shields for teachers to use while delivering phonics lessons. Many students learn how to make letter combination sounds by watching their teachers’ mouth formations, something that’s been limited by mask usage in schools. The clear face shields helped balance educator protection needs while allowing students to see how teachers form word sounds.
The testimony
Overall, support from Coaching for Literacy helps MTR implement programmatic changes in response to current student and educator needs. This helps reach more students and make a greater impact on literacy rates among their students.
MTR’s Executive Director David Mantague said, “MTR greatly benefits from our partnership with Coaching for Literacy. The Coaching for Literacy advocacy and resource-generating platform and network bring much-needed attention and literacy materials to the Memphis community. MTR camp students had access to high-quality literacy curriculum and resources because of our continued partnership and support from Coaching for Literacy.”
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