Starfish boosts student skills
Third-grader Nycere Hall plays a word game on a computer Wednesday as part of the Starfish program at Washington Park Elementary School.
Third-grade students at Washington Park Elementary School, Brandon Landles, left, and Kyle Risner play a word game Wednesday with Rig Riggins, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Through the Starfish program, an after-school literacy initiative, games and activities help students catch up to their peers.
Colton Crawford, a second-grader at Washington Park Elementary School, counts on his fingers as he plays a math game with teacher Sandy Shrader as part of the Starfish program.
Semaj Fuse typically does his homework and goes on his Xbox to play games with friends when he gets home from school.
Recently, though, Semaj, an 8-year-old third-grader at Washington Park Elementary, changed his routine to participate in an after-school program that uses games and activities to help second- and third-graders who show signs of academic underachievement.
The YMCA Starfish program helps build reading and math skills so youngsters can catch up to their peers early in their development to prevent the achievement gap from widening as students move on to more advanced lessons.
“The games are fun – really fun,” Fuse said Wednesday as he worked on math activities on a Chromebook. “I am doing better in my classes.”
Todd Brinkman, vice president of development with YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, said the program, developed by YMCA of Greater Charlotte, was tweaked to serve more than 500 students at more than 20 schools in Western Pennsylvania in the last five years.
“It is not pen and paper like in a traditional classroom,” Brinkman said. “It makes engaging activities so kids don’t feel like they’re in school.”
The program was funded by a five-year, $300,000 grant from the EQT Foundation.
YMCA and EQT officials joined Washington school Superintendent Roberta DiLorenzo and Washington Park principal Kelley Zebrasky for a presentation about the program and observed the children participating in various educational activities.
DiLorenzo said the Starfish program is one of many initiatives the district has developed through partnerships. DiLorenzo said the programs benefit all students, particularly those who have developmental delays.
“Seventy percent (of the student population) is economically disadvantaged,” DiLorenzo said. “School is the most stable part of many of our children’s lives.”
The district offers free breakfast, lunch and dinner to all students, skill-building sessions during the school day and an after-school program, among others.
“We have opened our doors to all agencies,” DiLorenzo said. “This collaboration has been exceptional.”
YMCA officials said the program is working with between 61 percent and 86 percent of the student participants increasing or maintaining proficiency in reading skill areas, including phonemic awareness and phonics, and writing and math-skill areas, including operations, numeracy, measurement and patterns and functions.
Pre-kindergarten teacher Kelly Hrabovsky on Wednesday led second-graders in a math activity. Students who correctly answered an addition problem received a snowman part made made out of construction paper. They completed the snowman by correctly answering a majority of problems.
“They love it,” Hrabovsky said. “Some do mental math quicker now. Their confidence in math is building.”
Brandon Noble, 8, a second-grader, said he enjoys playing the games and learning.
“I am getting better at addition and subtraction,” Noble said.