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In Michigan, Linking Body Language and Learning
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Positive correlation between amount of Body Phonics taught and student achievement
• Significant gains in individual special education students' reading scores, occasionally resulting in student reclassification to regular education
With nearly half of the students in Romulus, Michigan's K-6 school district from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, educators have long sought new ways to impart fundamental skills. But an enterprising special education teacher and an innovative partnership with a community organization have brought young learners to their feet and offered one-on-one tutoring for those who need the most help.
Special education teacher Chris Consales had long struggled with teaching her students phonics, the building blocks of reading and writing. "It occurred to me that kids need letters to fly right off the pages and onto their faces where they can connect the shape of the letter with the actual shape of the sound," she says.
Consales created Body Phonics, which uses body language, storytelling, and picture drawing to reinforce the connections between letters and their sounds. For instance, students put their hands under their chins in a "u" shape and make the sound "uh" to learn that letter, then make connections to words like "under" by lying beneath tables or making up stories about ocean life. The active approach addresses different learning strengths, meaning that students need to master fewer critical skills to become better readers, Consales says. 
Body Phonics became a key part of the Romulus district's 21st Century Community Learning Centers, an after-school program launched at two of its elementary schools in 1999. District buses transport students from the other four elementary schools to the Boys & Girls Club-sponsored after-school programs, which run as late as 8:30 p.m.-ideal for parents working long shifts at the Detroit area's auto plants.
The district also offers intensive after-school tutoring at the centers. Taught by a core group of 10-15 grad students, new teachers, substitutes, and retired educators, the tutoring program serves 150 elementary students each year. Those who need help in basic reading skills receive 45-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions using Body Phonics at least twice a week. Trained by Consales, the tutors provide written progress reports to both classroom teachers and parents at the end of each quarter.
After Consales taught the Body Phonics approach to all of the district's elementary teachers in 2002-03, testing data showed improvement in word recognition scores and a positive correlation between the amount of Body Phonics taught in class and student achievement. Students receiving after-school tutoring saw more dramatic gains, with improvement rates nearly three times the rate considered "good" in 2005-06. Consales adds that many of her own students categorized as special education lost that label after showing significant reading gains.
The program's success shows what can happen when teachers like Consales are encouraged to be innovative in addressing students' individual learning needs, and when districts reach out to community organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs to provide safe places for after-school recreation and learning.
Romulus also made a commitment that goes beyond improving test scores-even after its schools met all academic goals and the Centers' grant funding ended, Romulus has kept the tutoring program running.
Further details about this story can be found in our sources:
NSBA's Center for Public Education, "Michigan District Gets Physical With Reading", November, 2006
Amy Kuras, for The Detroit News, "Romulus Schools Win 3 Awards", October 24, 2005
American School Board Journal's 2006 Magna Awards, "Six Steps to Achievement", 2006, p. 9
Michigan's Best and Education Excellence Awards, "Romulus Community Schools: Body Phonics", 2005, p. 5
For additional information, please contact:
Chris Consales
Resource Teacher, Wick Elementary in the Romulus Community School District
consalec@romulus.k12.mi.us
Photos courtesy of the Center for Public Education and The Detroit News
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