F. S. Ervin Elementary School helps students reach their reading potential
The challenge
In the rural town of Pine Hill, Alabama, resides F. S. Ervin Elementary School. Almost half of Pine Hill residents live below the poverty line, and essentially all F. S. Ervin students live in poverty. Wilcox County, in which Pine Hill resides, has the highest unemployment rate in Alabama and students progress at slower rates academically than students in other areas of the state.
Educators at F. S. Ervin know that literacy is one way out of poverty for many of their students and that a child’s socioeconomic status has no bearing on their reading capacity. They set out to create exciting strategies to both increase access to materials and build core competencies to increase students’ reading comprehension scores.
Image provided by Webber Elementary
The solution
F.S. Ervin Elementary’s reading intervention program was revitalized thanks to a grant provided by International Paper through Coaching for Literacy’s #Fight4Literacy game at the University of Alabama. The grant money funded new books and e-readers for students at each grade level, as well as new books to keep in the school’s library and classrooms. Additionally, the money was used to fund both in-school and out of school programs, as well as summer intervention camps.
The school initially focused on providing books for its earliest readers: kindergartners through third graders. But as the books rolled in and students found success, the school saw promising results. They sprung into action to continue the momentum and purchased age-appropriate books for students in every grade.
Educators also recognized that the transition between third and fourth grade is a critical time for young readers. Entering fourth grade without grade-level reading competency creates compounding challenges for students that can be difficult to overcome. Teachers zoned in and focused their efforts on their second- and third-grade summer camp, “Too Legit to Quit.” This reading-focused summer camp helps students make reading gains, hopefully bringing each student to grade-level and into compliance with Alabama’s new literacy laws.
The testimony
F.S. Ervin Elementary School Principal Florence Wiggins says she is so thankful for Coaching for Literacy’s partnership, as it’s made a big difference in the lives of the school’s students. The grant, she noted, has impacted the school’s reading program, keeping her students' dreams of becoming successful community members alive.
“Thanks to Coaching for Literacy, we have been able to provide the fundamentals to the students who truly need it.”
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