Rogers Park: The Original Redwood Location Continues to Thrive
Written by Rogers Park Manager, Sammi Oberman
“Is it okay if Charlie* comes to Redwood early today? He couldn't wait any longer!”
Charlie* (along with many other members of his Rogers Park summer small group) showed up to sessions early every day to read under our space’s signature fiddle leaf fig tree. While the data from the 23-24 school year reflects incredible student growth and effectiveness of instruction, it’s markers like these that indicate Rogers Park is also succeeding in creating a warm and welcoming community of which students want to be a part.
Read on to learn how Redwood’s OG location in Rogers Park (est. 2018) is continuing to thrive!
*Name changed for anonymity
End of Year Data: Rogers Park students SOARED
As reading interventionists, we don’t just strive for growth, we strive for an above-average growth rate. This means that our students are not only learning new skills and keeping up in school, but they are outpacing their peers to close the gap between their current level and their reading goals. This is an incredibly ambitious goal and one that we take very seriously. As the Rogers Park Manager, I am proud to announce the following statistics.
100% of Rogers Park students showed raw score & composite growth on DIBELS
97% of students showed above average or well above average growth in at least one DIBELS category (truly closing the gap!)
Summer Small Groups were a huge success
This summer, we welcomed 12 new students (Kindergarten through 8th grade) into the Rogers Park family for our Summer Small Group sessions. Structured like our tried & true afternoon year-round programming, our Summer Small Groups provided 75-minute sessions of individualized reading intervention using the Wilson Reading System® and Writing Our World™.
Our students worked hard this summer, and that hard work paid off in the growth they showed in their decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills. At the same time, we also made sure that these sessions were FUN. When I asked one of our 7th-grade students what I could do to make Redwood better, she said, “Nothing, it’s perfect as it is.” I can’t imagine higher praise from a middle school student.
Assistive Technology Upgrade Coming Our Way!
This summer, we got the exciting news that Redwood Literacy’s Rogers Park location was chosen as one of 500 small businesses across the country to receive the American Express® Backing Small Businesses Grant.
We applied for this grant to help bring game-changing assistive technology to all of our students, and we are thrilled that it has become a reality (if you haven’t already, check out “Leveling the Playing Field," a free resource on the importance and benefits of Assistive Technology). At Redwood, we are passionate about staying cutting-edge with the latest and greatest technology and giving our students all of the tools they need to be successful in and out of the classroom. Keep an eye out for more exciting updates on Assistive Technology.
Enrollment is Open: Let’s talk!
All of Redwood Literacy’s programs are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so save your spot now! We would love the opportunity to invite you and your student into the Redwood community.
Book a call with me, the Rogers Park Manager, here, or send me an email (sammi@redwoodliteracy.com) to discuss what intervention would be best for your child this Fall.
