Summer's here and so are the opportunities for young learners in Duval to boost their English skills. The Team Duval ESOL Summer Maintenance Program is in full swing, targeting students from kindergarten through 12th grade who are sharpening their command of the English language over a six-week course. The program offers up a mix of reading, experiments, and vocab-building exercises. It's all taking place at Spring Park Elementary School, where educators are deeply engaged in the process of reinforcing the previous academic year's lessons.
Kindergarten teacher Karina Rios emphasized the program's hands-on approach, telling Team Duval News, “We’re reinforcing the things that they learned during the year.” While reading stories and getting their hands dirty with science experiments, students are being immersed in English at their respective levels. Rachel Miller, a third grade teacher at the program, pointed out the immersion's effectiveness: “It’s immersing them in the classroom in the English language with work that’s right on level for them,” she told Team Duval News.
Not just rooted in academics, the program aims to cultivate a sense of confidence within the students. Watching the sessions, teachers can be seen actively working to foster understanding and skill in their classrooms. A visit to the site by Team Duval News showcased how educators are helping their students flourish in more ways than one. The featured video captured moments of growth as students tackled new challenges in language learning, a testament to the summer program's dynamic environment.
While improving their English proficiency, students participating in the program have been found to grow in confidence. As noted by the educators on site, this sense of self-assurance is as crucial as the linguistic skills being polished. The scenes captured by Team Duval News offer insight into the program's impact, where a video accompanying their coverage provides a closer look at how the students' hard work is paying off.
