HELP was created in 2004 by Dr. Susan Perry as an intervention program at Sallie Cone Elementary School in Conway, Arkansas. Hendrix students work with children who have been identified by their teacher as needing extra help in reading and/or writing for a variety of reasons. The program began in grades K-2 but quickly expanded into grades 3 and 4 soon after it was first implemented.
Hendrix students begin working with small groups of children on a weekly basis throughout their Sophomore Spring semester when they enroll in Children's Literature. During this time, students are expected to incorporate children's literature into all of their weekly lessons which must include a variety of instructional techniques (Readers' Theatre, Interactive Read Alouds, Storytelling, Puppetry, Write Alouds, etc). Students continue working in the program during their Junior year as they enroll in the P-2 Reading and Writing Practicum and the 2-4 Reading/Writing class. As students work with their children while they are enrolled in their Junior Reading and Writing classes, they must implement research based techniques such as Interactive Writing, Writing Aloud, Shared Writing, Writers' and Readers' Workshop, Guided Reading, Literature Circles, Shared Reading, and Interactive Read Alouds. Students must also complete mini-lessons with their children on the 5 essential reading elements (fluency, comprehension, phonics, phonological awareness, vocabulary) researched by the National Reading Panel.
Based on Vygotsky's Social Constructivist Apprenticeship Approach, as students work with their small groups of children, they are coached by the instructor of the course. Lessons are video-taped and critiqued by classmates and instructors on a weekly basis so Hendrix students can improve their teaching techniques, skills, and strategies. Hendrix students guide all of their instruction using a variety of assessments (DRA, Observational Survey, DIBELS, DSA, etc) they administer to their children at the beginning and middle of the semester. All assessment information is shared with each child's teacher.
As students are enrolled in their P-2 Reading/Writing Practicum class, they conduct research on a topic of their choice. Students are expected to complete a literature review, decide on a research methodology, collect data, analyze the data, and write their research findings in a final paper. This paper is submitted to the National Council of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) for possible acceptance to present at NCUR's annual conference. To view some of the presentations that have been accepted at NCUR, please view the NCUR link on the Education Department's website.
HELP would not be as successful as it is today if it were not for the continued support of the Hendrix Murphy Foundation and Odyssey Program. Students can be granted Odyssey credit in a variety of the Early Childhood courses because of HELP. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Dr. Susan Perry at perry@hendrix.edu