District Statistics
- School District: Polk County School District
- Schools: Lake Alfred Elementary
- Number of Students: 480
- Grades: PK-5
- Population: Caucasian = 46%; Black = 32%; Hispanic = 19%; Other = 3%; Students eligible for free or reduced price lunch over 78%
- School Structure: Suburb
Special Education Students Improve Their Reading Fluency
Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students at Lake Alfred Elementary School in Lake Alfred, FL, significantly improved their reading fluency using Reading Assistant™ software. ESE learners are students with special education needs. At Lake Alfred, these ESE students are overcoming challenges including learning disabilities, emotional handicaps and autism.
Officials at Lake Alfred Elementary have seen a marked improvement since the students began using the program last fall. “One of my ESE students who is using […] Reading Assistant has improved his reading by one entire grade level in only a four months,” says Eileen Castle, Principal of Lake Alfred Elementary. This is a very significant improvement for an ESE student.”
“Reading is essential to any child’s learning, but our ESE students need the most help when it comes to improving their reading skills,” says Castle. “The […] Reading Assistant has provided the extra help we need. The students just love it, because they think it makes reading fun, which allows their motivation to develop naturally. Plus, they love technology.”
Third, fourth, and fifth graders have used Reading Assistant at Lake Alfred Elementary. Along with the ESE students, average performing students, low performing students and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) have used the program as a supplement to the school’s standard reading curriculum.