Historical February 1980 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Neighborhood School children ages 7 thru 12 made an impressive gain in reading skills according to California Reading Tests. The tests show an average gain of 1.3 years in the 3 month period between September and November this school year. The test results confirm a teaching philosophy that stresses that children be at a level where they feel confident, where they can move through the material quickly, and, following mastery, move on to the next level.
When a child begins at the Neighborhood School, the reading and math levels are determined through testing; with this diagnosis, the child is given material appropriate for his or her comfortable progress.
To support this program the children are often grouped heterogeneously, with 5 or 6 children ages 5 thru 12 assisting and checking each others’ work, asking questions, and often reinforcing their own learning by teaching someone on a lower level.
Reading readiness begins with the 3 & 4 year old children at the school. Besides art, dance, acting out, and a story, and free choice play, the children have structured directed learning. They have daily experiences training their visual and audial discrimination and their verbal and listening skills. The children are able to progress at a rate comfortable yet challenging for them.
The school has one teacher for every eight children, which insures greater flexibility and stimulation. The teaching staff includes Martha MacNamara, Scott Fullerton, Lorina Chavez, Ray Eberle, Sue Sante, Artist in Residence through a grant from the Missouri Arts Council, and Saville Sax, educational consultant.
Original photograph caption
Puppeteers from Neighborhood School have fun with marionettes they made. The Paper, February 1980, page9. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, February 1980.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1980_02.pdf, printed page(s) 9; PDF page(s) 9.
