Kirkwood School District

Launch continues to design opportunities for students to engage in targeted summer interventions, the newest of which is the Reading Lift-Off Academy.  This online reading academy has been designed specifically for rising 2nd-8th graders identified as potentially at-risk for dyslexia, developed to meet the needs of students who would benefit from additional support in foundational reading skills that are critical for future reading success.  Students who meet these criteria in Kirkwood have scored below the 30th percentile on a recent reading benchmark assessment.  Please note that eligibility for this program does not necessarily mean your child has dyslexia. 

 

Launch Reading Lift-Off Academy provides specially trained teachers who engage students with a powerful combination of small group and/or one-to-one intervention support. Students will have access to MindPlay, an adaptive software specially designed to support students at-risk for dyslexia, and teacher interventions will utilize Sonday Systems Essentials.  This approach has been specially designed by Launch to both enable and empower at-risk students to continue to progress in their reading development.  Sonday System is also used in Kirkwood's K-5 classrooms.

 

Lift-Off Academy includes 3-hour options in the morning and afternoon, offering a balance of synchronous whole/small group instruction and asynchronous/independent work with MindPlay.  Teachers may also reach out to students, as necessary, for one-on-one time.

 

Launch Reading Lift-Off Academy is available at no charge to students during each Launch Summer session (June 5-30 and July 5-31).  If you are interested in your child participating in the Reading Lift-Off Academy, please provide enrollment information on our KSD registration site.  We will contact your school to determine if your child is identified as at-risk for dyslexia  and thus qualifies for the program.