566 East 3650 North
Provo, Utah 84604
Phone: (801) 221-9984
Fax: (801) 221-9987
Provo, Utah 84604
Phone: (801) 221-9984
Fax: (801) 221-9987
Edgemont kindergarten classes see nearly 100 percent of their students at or above reading level with the help of an innovative program created at Brigham Young University.
A program titled Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy (SEEL) is designed to educate younger learners through the use of emotional experiences had within the classroom. Dianne Amesse, a kindergarten teacher at Edgemont Elementary, said the results she’s seen from the program outperform any other she has tried.
“I wouldn’t use anything else but SEEL,” she said. “I’ve never seen such great results.”
Jolie Hill, The Director of Project SEEL, has organized the research and development for this unique and successful program. She said the amount of fun and emotional connections used in SEEL set it apart from the other educational programs available.
“SEEL not only exposes children to letters and patterns at the sound a print levels, it provides them with multiple opportunities for playful engagement,” Hill said. “Activities are designed to stimulate an emotional connection that gives students the ability to remember and apply skills, setting SEEL apart from the other literacy programs available.”
Elementary teachers are trained on a monthly basis to plan instruction that captures student attention and creates emotional ties to learning specific letter sounds and sequences.
An example of a lesson includes Amesse drawing a bat on a deflated balloon. Her kindergarten students will be learning the ‘at’ ending. After she draws on the balloon, she blows it up and explains that the bat is becoming fat. She then lets the balloon go and it floats through the air as the students laugh with delight at the funny sounds the balloon makes. Once the balloon finds a resting spot in a far corner of the room, she then explains that the fat bat went splat and has now become flat.
“Connections to skill development are made when the kids have fun while they are learning,” Amesse said. “I’ve had students come to me after they transition to first grade and share memories about a SEEL lesson almost verbatim a year later. We all remember things so much better when we are having fun and engaged in the learning process.”
SEEL is currently being implemented in several schools within Provo School District while researchers gather data. BYU is placing a particular emphasis on Edgemont Elementary by scheduling parent nights to show typical SEEL lesson plans and conducting a KBYU documentary on the success SEEL brings to different types of students, including English Language Learners.
If you are interested in hearing more about SEEL and how teachers, students, and families at Edgemont benefit from its playful curriculum, please contact teachers Dianne Amesse (DianneA@provo.edu) or Kristen Ellis (KristenE@provo.edu). More information can be found by email at projectseel@byu.edu.
If you'd like your student to have the benefits of the SEEL program, Kindergarten Registration is going on now at Edgemont (www.edgemont.provo.edu). Enroll your child now by contacting secretary Ann Davis at AnnDa@provo.edu or by phone at 801-221-9984.