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THE ERA Sunday, April 12, 2009
$1 INCLUDING GST / 28 PAGES
Parents help close gender learning gap BY TERESA LATCHFORD tla tchfo rd @>yrmg. com
In the library of the Park Avenue Public School, a group of parents gather around a table to discuss Leonard Sax's Boys Adrift, a resource explaining boys' behaviour, how they learn and how to keep them motivated. The parent book club is part of a schoolwide initiative to improve literacy and close the academic
achievement gap between male and female students. Kelly Henderson, a mother of two, joined the club because the book caught her interest, but she also found it was a great way to meet other parents, making the school community a little stronger. "We discuss issues that come up in the book and compare stories," she explained. "I hear things that I can apply at home and also
in the classroom, since I'm also a teacher." The group, in its second year of operation at the Holand Landing school, has about nine core members, but there may be anywhere from 12 to 15 present at the gatherings, special education teacher Patricia Murdoch said. Each session, parents discuss two chapters of the book, what struck them and how it can be applied.
Although much of what is applied in the classroom is developed by teachers in professional development sessions, parents need to be up to date on the literature, she said. "If parents learn what is best for their children, they become the best advocates," she said. At the end of the month, parents will hear Mr. Sax speak about his
STAFF PHOTO/TERESA LATCHFORD
Kelly Henderson and Catherine Slack discuss Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax as Park Avenue Public School parents try to close the academic gap.
Club makes school stronger: parent From page 1.
book in Mississauga. Ms Murdoch applied for a grant through the Ministry of Education teacher leadership and learning program and with the funding, along with funds from a York Region District School Board grant, the school was able to implement a number of strategies in their quest to boost literacy while closing the gender gap. Her proposal outlined a plan to raise boys' literacy levels through professional develop-
ment for teachers, parental involvement and by gaining teaching strategies focused on engagement. Last year, the school split its Grade 6 classes by gender, blending the genders in only a few cases. The idea was to teach using different strategies to engage each gender and see what worked and what didn't. This year, the initiative continued and, with the grants, the school was able to purchase engaging materials including stability balls and hot water bottles to sit on, class sets of clipboards, white boards and various reading and writing tools.
. See CLUB, page 8.
$1 INCLUDING GST / 28 PAGES
Parents help close gender learning gap BY TERESA LATCHFORD tla tchfo rd @>yrmg. com
In the library of the Park Avenue Public School, a group of parents gather around a table to discuss Leonard Sax's Boys Adrift, a resource explaining boys' behaviour, how they learn and how to keep them motivated. The parent book club is part of a schoolwide initiative to improve literacy and close the academic
achievement gap between male and female students. Kelly Henderson, a mother of two, joined the club because the book caught her interest, but she also found it was a great way to meet other parents, making the school community a little stronger. "We discuss issues that come up in the book and compare stories," she explained. "I hear things that I can apply at home and also
in the classroom, since I'm also a teacher." The group, in its second year of operation at the Holand Landing school, has about nine core members, but there may be anywhere from 12 to 15 present at the gatherings, special education teacher Patricia Murdoch said. Each session, parents discuss two chapters of the book, what struck them and how it can be applied.
Although much of what is applied in the classroom is developed by teachers in professional development sessions, parents need to be up to date on the literature, she said. "If parents learn what is best for their children, they become the best advocates," she said. At the end of the month, parents will hear Mr. Sax speak about his
STAFF PHOTO/TERESA LATCHFORD
Kelly Henderson and Catherine Slack discuss Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax as Park Avenue Public School parents try to close the academic gap.
Club makes school stronger: parent From page 1.
book in Mississauga. Ms Murdoch applied for a grant through the Ministry of Education teacher leadership and learning program and with the funding, along with funds from a York Region District School Board grant, the school was able to implement a number of strategies in their quest to boost literacy while closing the gender gap. Her proposal outlined a plan to raise boys' literacy levels through professional develop-
ment for teachers, parental involvement and by gaining teaching strategies focused on engagement. Last year, the school split its Grade 6 classes by gender, blending the genders in only a few cases. The idea was to teach using different strategies to engage each gender and see what worked and what didn't. This year, the initiative continued and, with the grants, the school was able to purchase engaging materials including stability balls and hot water bottles to sit on, class sets of clipboards, white boards and various reading and writing tools.
. See CLUB, page 8.
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