The students assembled on a colorful rug in a Hazel Dell Elementary classroom have learned that songs have forms—verses, choruses and sometimes bridges and interludes. They’ve learned about rhythms and tempos. Now it’s time to rock. Wielding empty gallon-sized coffee containers, they pound out the rhythm of “Happy,” popularized by Pharrell Williams.
Jam sessions may seem like an unusual activity for a program called Summer Literacy Academy. But the music and art lessons offered at Hazel Dell, one of four SLA sites across the district, complemented three weeks of intensive work in July and August to enhance reading and writing skills for more than 600 elementary students.
“Art helps build cognitive abilities that they can transfer to other subjects,” said art teacher Melissa Swenson of Gaiser Middle School. Projects in the style of Edward Hopper, Vincent van Gogh, Eric Carle and other artists also gave SLA students a creative outlet—popular with SLA students such as Jonathan T.
“Since my mom’s an artist, I like seeing what she draws and I want to do it, too. And my brother’s a musician, and I want to be like him,” he said.
Meanwhile, daily journaling and American Revolution–themed vocabulary exercises helped Justin B. prepare for the upcoming school year. “It’s good because I’m getting better on my spelling and writing.”
Literacy development can take many forms, said music teacher Becky Miller of Roosevelt Elementary School. “Putting text in front of kids in as many ways as possible just makes them better readers,” she said. “Sometimes they don’t even realize it.”