This program is to help address the effects and impacts of ACEs on reading and literacy for approximately 20 students at a St. Mary’s County Title I public elementary school.  The program is designed to provide an after-school reading program to help address the literacy performance needs in this at-risk group of students who are struggling academically and/or socially and exhibit one or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by helping increase their phonemic awareness skills. The program strives to close the phonemic awareness gaps in grades 1-3 to avoid larger gaps that are more difficult to bridge in the intermediate grades. All of this is done in a setting with a low student-to-staff ratio (approx. 5:1, depending on student enrollment) so that students can get the attention necessary to build the positive relationships and help offset the negative impacts of ACEs.

The students selected for the GWCES program will be those identified as economically disadvantaged (i.e., qualifying for the FARMs program) and who are showing deficits in phonemic awareness skills essential for reading fluency and comprehension.

Staff will use progress monitoring, school report cards, and both local and state assessments to determine phonemic awareness and reading skills.