2023 was a year to focus on literacy for Calcasieu Parish schools
Published 6:23 am Saturday, December 23, 2023
- (American Press Archives)
The Calcasieu Parish school district focused its energy on literacy during 2023.
While literacy scores have been on the rise, many students’ education was negatively impacted by the pandemic and subsequent string of natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. Willona Jackson, supervisor of special projects, Calcasieu Parish School Board, said that there has been a “genuine sense of urgency” for the district to focus on literacy and other foundational education skills over the past three years.
While no grades are left out, there has been a “large emphasis” on early elementary grades, as K-3 are the critical years in which students become fluent in reading, she said. This is a foundational skill.
“For students to easily comprehend what they are reading and draw meaning from the words, students must first be able to become fluent readers. Foundational literacy skills are what help students to learn how to decode unfamiliar words so that they can become proficient readers. There aren’t many tasks in one’s daily life that do not require, at some level, reading.”
She said that “the excitement for literacy burst over” the school district in 2023. They started the 2023-24 school year with two major literacy projects: Calcasieu Reads and Summer Bingo.
Calcasieu Reads was a community-based campaign that highlighted local leaders and figures on CPSB social media platforms. Participants – like Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and KPLC Anchor John Bridges – discussed their love for reading and shared their favorite childhood storybooks.
Summer Bingo, a family engagement activity, promoted reading for K-12 students during the summer break. Each student received a Reading Bingo card filled with literacy activities to be completed alongside family members. Once the bingo cards were filled out, the students received a yard sign designating them as a “CPSB Reading Champion” and a family board game of their choice.
These two summer initiatives effectively kicked off a literacy-focused school year, she said.
“We truly feel that both projects helped to bolster our literacy efforts because they were inclusive of our community and our CPSB families in helping to promote a love of reading.”
One of the largest efforts that CPSB launched is Mission Literacy, a district level literacy team that hosts monthly “Family Literacy Nights” at elementary schools throughout the district. This is the second year of Mission Literacy. Jackson said that the program was developed to convey the district’s core beliefs on literacy to the community.
“We wanted to communicate that families and the community play an essential role in the literacy development of children and that families and the community should feel welcome and valued as learning partners with the district and schools.”
The elementary schools that receive a visit are selected through a random drawing. After the winning school is selected families register to participate; Often the event reaches max capacity in 15 minutes.
At literacy night, families rotate through a selection of activities designed to practice foundational literacy skills. These activities are connected to the featured book, making each literacy night unique.
The next district literacy night will take place at Westwood Elementary in January 2024.
Additionally, many CPSB schools offer monthly literacy challenges to encourage the students to read and complete activities with their families, and CPSB teachers regularly receive literacy-focused professional development resources and instruction.
To close out the year and celebrate the holidays, CPSB Superintendent Shannon LaFargue, alongside colleagues, will read “Santa’s Sleigh is on its Way to Louisiana” – a book the follows Santa has he makes different stops at Louisiana cities and landmarks – in a special virtual reading video that will be posted to CPSB socials. This is the third year that CPSB has celebrated the holiday’s with a book reading, solidifying it as a festive, literary tradition for everyone to enjoy.
The video will go live on Saturday, December 24.
