A Slam Dunk for Literacy: Annandale High School Basketball Teams Help Third Graders Score Points Reading
Each Wednesday afternoon during the winter months, the Annandale High School boys and girls basketball teams make the short walk to Braddock Elementary School for a very important match-up.
The Atoms athletes are there to mentor third graders who could benefit from a little extra support in reading comprehension.
For 10 weeks, the athletes and younger students sit head to head on benches in the cafeteria and work through literacy skills in collaboration with the Herndon non-profit, Readers Are Leaders. It’s a successful partnership that has been running between the schools since 2018.
Their efforts are helping Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) meet Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan 2023-30 to ensure all students are reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
“The impact is huge,” said Adriana Vela, a literacy teacher at Braddock. “We want to develop that love of reading,” added Vela, who works alongside reading resource teacher Jacquelyne Vereen; Joyce Matthews, an afterschool program coordinator; and Jakelin Lake, family engagement support specialist.
“Our students are so excited to be taught by the teenagers. You overhear them talking about it in the hallways,” said Vereen. “The relationships they build together are beautiful to see. The players take their roles very seriously — they know the need is great.”
Together, they work through stories and passages as the third graders learn to interpret the author’s meaning behind the words. The mentors utilize Benchmark Advance materials — FCPS’ new literacy curriculum — to conduct their tutoring. This reinforces what the students learn with their classroom teacher.
More than just a read-aloud, the athletes receive professional training by the program coordinators in best teaching practices at the beginning of each year's session. Annandale mentors are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, service hours, and $1,000 for their team.
And all students and families are provided dinner thanks to the SEVA Truck Foundation.
Boys Varsity Coach Jerome McAvoy said he encourages his players to give back to the community they grew up in. Some of these athletes are former students of Braddock Elementary.
Senior Tyson Perkins plays point guard on the varsity team. He loves the experience.
“It is so nice to see their faces light up when we walk in. It feels super good,” he said, smiling. “The first time I came here it was hard for the kids even to learn vowels. And now they are reading books by themselves. It's fun to see them learn and grow.”
The need for additional support at Braddock is great. Seventy-five percent of students are multilingual learners, many with parents who are not proficient in English. Comprehension has been identified as an area of greatest need for the students.
As the weeks go by, the confidence grows in the younger children with teachers reporting gains in academic achievement and classroom engagement.
Thanks to Readers Are Leaders, the children at the Title 1 school receive 10 books to begin an at-home library, as well as a backpack, pencils, a wristband, and bookmarks.
At the end of the 10-week program, the younger students walk to meet the mentors on their home turf — the high school gymnasium.
The Braddock students get to cheer on their mentors at a game and are invited onto the court for a special ceremony where they thank the players. Students present the players with a medal the following day in the school cafeteria.
Third grader Leonardo Gramajo Mayorga said, “I am learning to read a lot better. They read to me and ask me questions and I read to them. I am getting respected by a basketball player!”
For eight-year-old Leonardo, there has been another benefit, “I think these guys are really cool. They have inspired me to learn to play basketball.”
