LANCASTER, Calif.,-- When it comes to teaching kids how to read, one Lancaster school is taking a unique approach.
In the current age, technology is all around but the Eastside Union School District is using it to help teach their students in a unique way.
“It’s all about the kids here, always, always, all about the kids,” said Tierra Bonita Elementary School Principal, Christa Waldvogel.
Tierra Bonita Elementary School is putting their computers to good use with the Imagine Learning program. It is a language and literacy computer program that teaches students by using interactive activities. The software aims to get students on the right track when it comes to reading at a young age. The Eastside Union School District began using the program last year.
“The students love it because it’s interactive and it’s fun and it’s technology. That’s all they do all day long so how can you not love that part of it,” said Waldvogel.
Kindergarten through second-graders use Imagine Learning every day for 30 minutes. The goal is to get every single student at grade level. The program becomes more challenging the more advanced the student becomes. For administrators, Imagine Learning opens doors that traditional methods couldn’t.
“Because its computer based, it can make the change as the kid gets better. As the child gets better at reading, the program becomes a little bit harder for them so it’s quicker, faster learning in some ways,” continued Waldvogel.
Tierra Bonita was one of 40 schools nationwide that was recently recognized by the program as a World Class school. The honor is the highest that Imagine Learning awards. Eastside Elementary School has also been using the program for the past year and received the Top 50 School Award, recognizing the school as one of the top 50 worldwide for their consistent use.
Every Kindergartener that used the program last year entered this school year at a first grade reading level.