mifflinstarsCEE

Reading for the Stars

Wissahickon Charter School

Nearly one half of American adults lack health literacy, the skills needed to understand and participate in their own healthcare. While there are many factors contributing to this, many share an important risk factor in common: an incomplete education.

In Philadelphia schools alone, 44% of students fail to graduate high school each year.

Students who score poorly in Math or Reading by 6th grade, have less than a 10% chance of graduating from high school on time…unless they get help!

Project Description: Reading for the STARS pairs first-year medical students of Drexel University with students of Wissahickon Charter School in East Falls. Each pair will meet for an hour at least once a week over the course of the 2008-09 school year, with the exception of holiday and exam weeks. During the hour, the medical student will read at least one book or chapter to the child, and the child would practice reading to the medical student.

It has been shown that literacy skills affect one’s health throughout a person’s life. Given that many of Wissahickon ’s students are from low-income families, the support of a reading tutor for most of the students will make a difference for these children for the rest of their education and their lives.

Goals: The goals of the Reading for the STARS program are to:

Improve reading skills among Wissahickon Charter School students
Improve the understanding of the connection between literacy and health for Drexel University medical students
Build relationships between medical students from a range of backgrounds and children of low-income families
Improve the communication skills of physicians-in-training


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	Reading for the Stars Wissahickon Charter School Nearly one half of American adults lack health literacy, the skills needed to understand and participate in their own healthcare. While there are many factors contributing to this, many share an important risk factor in common: an incomplete education. In Philadelphia schools alone, 44% of students fail to graduate high school each year. Students who score poorly in Math or Reading by 6th grade, have less than a 10% chance of graduating from high school on time…unless they get help! Project Description: Reading for the STARS pairs first-year medical students of Drexel University with students of Wissahickon Charter School in East Falls. Each pair will meet for an hour at least once a week over the course of the 2008-09 school year, with the exception of holiday and exam weeks. During the hour, the medical student will read at least one book or chapter to the child, and the child would practice reading to the medical student. It has been shown that literacy skills affect one’s health throughout a person’s life. Given that many of Wissahickon ’s students are from low-income families, the support of a reading tutor for most of the students will make a difference for these children for the rest of their education and their lives. Goals: The goals of the Reading for the STARS program are to: Improve reading skills among Wissahickon Charter School students Improve the understanding of the connection between literacy and health for Drexel University medical students Build relationships between medical students from a range of backgrounds and children of low-income families Improve the communication skills of physicians-in-training