Getting comfy

Marisa O’Neil

A new reading program in Newport-Mesa schools is helping students get

comfortable with books.

They’re getting so comfortable reading, some seem right at home

sitting on the cushy sofas and recliners in the Read 180 classrooms.

Just getting these students, who need extra help with their reading

skills, to curl up with a good book is a milestone for Julie Chan,

director of literacy instruction for the district.

“I didn’t really like to read before,” said Mary Cho, a Costa Mesa

High School seventh-grader. “I thought it was boring. Now I think

it’s kind of fun. My dad would force me to read, but now I’ll read

after I finish my homework.”

The program uses books, books on tape and short video clips on a

variety of topics designed to pique students’ interest. The reading

also gets cemented with interactive lessons on special computer

software.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District began using Read 180 at Costa

Mesa, Estancia and Back Bay high schools and Ensign Middle School

last summer. Students entering the seventh, eighth and ninth grades

who performed at the basic or below-basic levels for language arts on

state standardized tests last spring were recommended for the

program.

Read 180 aims to get students reading at their grade level,

increase vocabulary and comprehension and encourage critical

thinking. By teaching students to “read smarter, not harder,” Chan

hopes that their standardized test scores will go up.

“We’re teaching them to use reading for learning,” Chan said.

“They’re transitioning from learning how to read to using it as a

tool.”

Each Read 180 class encompasses two class periods and is broken

into three parts -- independent reading, small group instruction and

computer work.

For independent reading, students select from books on tape or

paperback books in one of four reading levels. The selections range

from biographies of professional athletes like basketball player

Grant Hill to history and contemporary fiction.

“I like to read action books and drama,” 13-year-old Costa Mesa

student Lema Asuega said of the program.

They may also choose from graphic novels -- similar to comic books

-- of some classic literature, such as Homer’s “The Odyssey” and

Charles Dickens’ “David Copperfield.”

Students then take quizzes about their reading on computers in the

classroom. They also select and watch video clips on a variety of

topics and go through a series of tests, including spelling and

proofreading, using special software.

“It keeps track of how they’re doing, how long they take to answer

each question and gives them immediate feedback,” Chan said.

During the small-group work, eight students at a time work with

their teacher on their reading assignments. That allows teachers to

hear each student read aloud, something not always possible in a

conventional class of 30 students, Read 180 teacher JoMarie Hayes

said.

“With only eight kids at a time, I can check each one,” Hayes

said. “When they’re ready to leave for the next rotation, I know who

knows and who doesn’t get it.”

Once students are reading at grade level, as Mary now is, they

graduate from the program into conventional classes. Other students

identified by their teachers as needing extra help are then brought

in.

“This has really helped with my humanities class,” Lema said.

“It’s made me understand more words and learn new words I didn’t

understand before, like ‘belligerent.’”

Using the computers and reading about subjects that interest them

have helped get the students excited about reading, Chan said. The

comfy chairs don’t hurt, either.

“I can tell the kids are being successful,” Chan said. “They want

to come in early, want to stay and want to work. What more could you

ask for as a teacher?”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.