Active Learning Helps Students In EPISD

It’s an intensive reading intervention program for students who struggle with reading. The program is called Read 180.

The program uses technology, print and professional development. Read 180 is in about 15,000 classrooms across the country, including borderland schools.

This school year, the El Paso Independent School District is investing $2.5 million in some new equipment — taking the reading program to a higher level with physical activity and students said it’s changing their lives.

“I stopped watching TV,” said Genesis Cruz. She’s one of eight students in Mrs. Yvonne Rivera’s brain-friendly class.

The seventh grader said before this year, she rarely ever read.

“I was always either playing video games on the computer, watching TV, being outside, nothing at home,” Cruz said.

She said she’s on her way to success thanks, in part to this class.

The program has receIved a physical booting in the EPISD. “In incorporating physical activity in the classroom it helps stimulate the mind, as well,” said Yvonne Rivera.

District officials said they got the idea after a group of administrators went to Naperville High School in Illinois and saw the power of physical activity booting brain activity.

At Ross Middle School in El Paso, the class starts with a warm-up exercise of stacking cups.

Then the students go to their stations.

“Read 180 is made up of three components. The computer component where they work at their independent levels. We work in small group setting and they also work in an active reading setting where they read independently,” explained Rivera.

While reading, the students sit on bouncing balls or at an elevated desk where they can swing their legs.

Rivera told ABC-7 the students read for about 20 minutes then take two to three minute brain breaks.

“The video game generation that’s used to multi-tasking and everything happening at a very fast pace appreciate the movement as opposed to being distracted by it. They’re able to function at that level and prefer to,” Rivera said.

Brain breaks include balancing on boards, throwing balls to each other and even paper, rock, scissors.

“It may all seem like it’s all fun, but there is a purpose behind all of the activities we do,” Rivera said.

She explained the brain friendly program makes students better thinkers. It strengthens the connections between the right hand and left hand sides of the brain which helps process information faster.

According to Rivera, “There’s been a huge change in the attitudes and grades of my students this year versus last year, with the implementation of the equipment and the brain friendly classrooms.”

“I just don’t like reading a lot of stuff. I never read before. I barely started when this class started and now I love it. I feel thankful for what the teachers are doing,” said Cruz.

District officials said students in the program are getting better grades and their reading levels are improving.

They said there are 16 middle schools in the district which incorporate physical activity with the Read 180 program.

According to officials, EPISD is the only district in Texas that combines the two.