The Pre-K students as Jones Elementary got a special treat: guest readers! High school students from the RHHS Explora ESL program visited the elementary and brought some great books with them. The Explora ESL program was created for ESL students in high school, and it gives them the opportunity to practice reading aloud, present to a crowd, and use their leadership skills.
The goal of having the students read to the Pre-K class was to honor the cultural of backgrounds of both the younger and older students. Ms. Valentin, Explora’s sponsor, stated, “The students need to experience and see that it’s okay to speak English, and it’s okay to speak Spanish. They just need experience with both.” By reading these books aloud, the high schoolers got to practice their verbal skills and the elementary students interacted with role models and got to hear a story. “I hope this opportunity to present will lead to their success in the future and help them become better scholars,” Ms. Valentin said.
The students in the Explora ESL club meet after school and decide what they are going to do. The students themselves selected Jones because of the bilingual program on campus. They also selected their own books to read and practiced reading the book aloud before visiting the elementary.
The students at Jones loved this experience, and we can’t wait to see all of the amazing things the Explora ESL students are going to do next!
