"Students Use Study Island to Help with Studies"

By Alene HillCorrespondentWednesday, March 5, 2008 9:52 AM CST
When Heather Muench, a sixth-grade student at Dorris Intermediate School, needed extra help with math, she turned to a new tool in district teachers’ arsenals for assistance.“I was having trouble with exponents, so I went over it on Study Island, and I got it,” she said, pointing out that the software also helps with reading.Another sixth-grader, Brandon Belobraydic, pointed out that games on the software — especially a skateboard game — made the lessons more enjoyable. “You can get bored just taking tests,” he said. “But with the skateboard game, when you choose an answer, you can use the arrows to do tricks.”Sixth-grader Christina Holland said the test helped her by making the “ISAT tests easier – especially with vocabulary words.”Students aren’t the only ones testifying to the help they receive from new innovative software programs being used to target areas where they need assistance, review previous classroom material and even work ahead to more challenging material.

Brad Snow, a fourth-grade teacher at Jefferson School, said the programs are an excellent tool that help tailor assistance to “each student’s individual needs.”

With Study Island, math and reading skills are broken down into different areas and when a student answers a certain number of questions correctly they get to move on and they incorporate games to keep it fun.”

“(Study Island) can also be used at home,” he said. “Students can use their passwords and user names and the program keeps track of their work. It can help parents see they are having trouble with a particular area — everyone is on the same page.”

Ms. Holland goes on to say, “I know by looking who is having trouble and where exactly they need help,” she said. “The reports for teachers are tremendous.”Lessons for each grade, she said, are also linked to state standards for reading and math skills.

“Teachers can review immediate results from the tests and then determine areas of concentration for instruction,” she said.The program also provides practice material for problem areas and teachers can print out and send home individual reports for parents.

Study Island is used in the district’s second- through sixth-grade classrooms and is also aligned to Illinois State Standards, she said, and “is an invaluable program for parents looking for reinforcement and practice material to help their sons or daughters increase their academic achievement at home.”

Some schools, such as DIS, have incorporated Study Island events to encourage participation.DIS principal John Griffith said the school had scheduled a luau, an event with a Hawaiian theme, during lunch period on March 31.“The students receive blue ribbons when they meet certain criteria with Study Island,” he said. “Some students have earned their grade level and above and we have the ‘Top Ten Island Surfers’ – the top in each grade and the top in the school.”But for Griffith, who began teaching 17 years ago, the program is a breakthrough.“I couldn’t have fathomed then using tools like this for teaching and kids having fun learning,” he said.The board has supported extending the subscription for the program for next year, she said.Parents wanting more information on Study Island can contact their children’s teacher or school.

Study Island Success Story from a 5th grader!

Study Island is paradise for Swansea fifth-grader
The Herald News, 207 Pocasset Street, Fall River, Massachusetts 02722
http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x688584259

Swansea -
Joseph G. Luther Elementary School fifth-grader Jenna Demoranville had a story to tell, and the School Committee was all ears Monday night.After all, it’s not every day the committee is treated to a success story about a new curriculum. And it's even rarer to hear a student deliver the testimonial herself.Two years ago, as a struggling third-grader, Demoranville was placed into the "at risk" category for math.“Math was never an easy subject for me. I was constantly frustrated,” Demoranville told the School Committee.As Demoranville struggled, the district began implementing Study Island, a Web-based program aimed at helping third- through fifth-graders. The program helped students practice for MCAS-related curriculum, using fun exercises and games to make the learning experience more interactive and enjoyable.Demoranville began visiting Study Island weekly. Eventually, she was using the program in class, at home and even on vacations.“It allows me to see practice questions that I would see on the MCAS exam,” Demoranville said. “Study Island makes me feel more comfortable, and it's something I use at home, where I can read lessons before I take a test. My mother also helps me, which allows me to spend time with her and learn at the same time.”On a recent family trip to Mexico, Demoranville took off with her father’s laptop and linked up to the hotel’s computer in order to keep practicing on Study Island. She did the same thing throughout the summer, and the results were obvious.“I am a fifth-grader now and for the first time, I am no longer in 'at risk' math,” Demoranville said. “Study Island has made me more comfortable at answering questions in the classroom. I finally achieved a goal I never thought was possible and I thank Study Island for that.”School Committee Vice Chairman Debra Martelly thanked Demoranville for her presentation and congratulated her on her progress.“We don’t see a lot of this,” Martelly said. “We set policy but we never see how those decisions are affected.”Assistant Superintendent Christine Stanton said Demoranville and Susan Short, computer specialist for Luther and Brown schools, have entered her testimony into a contest asking for Study Island success stories. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship and earn a free Study Island subscription for the district.“Jenna, you are just outstanding, and the junior high can’t wait to get you next year,” Stanton said.E-mail Jay Pateakos at jpateakos@heraldnews.com.