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The mission of East Nashville Hope Exchange is to strengthen the literacy of at risk children in East Nashville. ENHE provides a structured and safe environment where children and their families can learn, have fun, and find support.
Why literacy? Research shows that low-income minority children who are reading on grade level by 3rd grade are eight times more likely to graduate from high school, and therefore 63% more likely to avoid the so-called "preschool to prison pipeline" than those who struggle with their reading. So for East Nashville’s at-risk youth and their families, literacy means hope—hope for educational success and a positive future.
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ENHE PROGRAMS
East Nashville Hope Exchange is a year-round literacy program. We offer an intense 6-week Summer Program for at-risk elementary students focused on maintaining and improving essential literacy skills that can decline during the summer unless practiced. Our School Year Program provides monthly literacy workshops for students and families, and also supports families through home visits, follow-up with schools, and connections to community resources (tutoring, food, clothing, etc.). ENHE programs emphasize family involvement in the learning process and provide individualized instruction with a strong critical thinking component. With this program model, 95% of our 2015 students maintained or gained in at least three out of our four areas of assessment!
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Fall Quarter Family Workshops Recap
Click here to view our monthly family newsletters with full recaps of all of our Fall workshops!
SEPTEMBER WORKSHOP:
Constructive Use of Time and Sight Word Games
and Asking Thin and Thick Questions While Reading at Home
Constructive use of time means that children get a chance to study AND to play. Too much work can make a student anxious or stressed, but too much free time can make it hard for them to stay motivated in school and at home. ENHE families exchanged ideas about how to keep a good balance. They key is to make sure your student is making time for both work and play! Families shared information on different opportunities for ENHE children in the neighborhood like dance, art classes, and religious activities. We also discussed that at home, family fun time and support with schoolwork is important for a student to do well.
ENHE families learned two different ways to help children with their reading in September: the Roll a Sight Word Alien Game, which practices sight word reading, and Asking Thin and Thick Questions, where children learn to think about what they're reading. Answers to thin questions are right in the text of the book, but thick questions mean children have to think about what they read to reply. This helps children learn and comprehend what they read and is an integral skill to their education going forward! To see the reading comprehension bookmarks, the Roll a Sight Word game, and learn more about ENHE's work in September, check out the ENHE September family newsletter.
OCTOBER WORKSHOP:
Empowerment, Commitment to Learning, and Reading Comprehension
@ the East Nashville Library
Empowerment means "to give authority to." For a child, that starts with the feeling of being welcomed and included throughout the community. In October, ENHE met with families at the East Nashville Public Library. First, families enjoyed the puppet show 'The Little Rabbit with Red Wings,' performed by the Nashville Public Library's Wishing Chair Productions. Then they participated in a library scavenger hunt, helping the children and families learn how to find many different kinds of books and media in the library. Finally, ENHE leader teacher Monika Howard led families through a reading of "Tomas and the Library Lady." She stopped periodically, guiding parents to engage their children in questions and conversation to help the children comprehend what they are reading. ENHE encouraged parents to find little ways to help their children feel empowered. Even choosing which book they want to read at night helps them feel empowered and proud. To read more, check out the ENHE October family newsletter.
NOVEMBER WORKSHOP:
Support and Kidwriting
ENHE supporter Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show collaborated with ENHE teachers for the children's program. Ketch played songs, read The Bee Tree, and connected his music to our topic of Support. ENHE families exchanged ideas on how we can best support our children. We discussed that support is essential to meeting children's physical and emotional needs. Support can be found in the form of parents, grandparents, neighbors, and teachers that praise the child for his/her efforts and accomplishments and affirm the child's growth and sense of belonging. East Nashville Hope Exchange is also a support system, as all of us here provide love and support to children.
We worked with families to understand and support 'Kidwriting.' Kidwriting is the creative way that children learn to begin to express their own thoughts through the written word. ENHE teachers talked with parents about several different stages; kidwriting includes everything from scribbling and tracing letters to inventing spelling and new words. ENHE teachers worked with parents to help them understand the importance of having children dictate and adults write in the early stages. That way, children get a lot of practice formulating and expressing ideas, even before they themselves can write the words. Then we focused on the importance of letting children use 'invented' spellings when they first start to write words themselves. Over-correcting spelling can frustrate an early writer. To see more of the tips and strategies we taught, check out the ENHE November family newsletter.
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MEET OUR FAMILIES
ENHE students and their families face unique challenges that can make it hard to stay on track in school, but all are committed to learning and growing together. Read below for two of their stories!
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Michael and Kimberly Franklin
Michael, in 1st grade at Kipp Kirkpatrick, and his mother joined ENHE in 2014. Kimberly and Michael love to spend time together reading, singing, playing at the park, going to the movie theater, playing board games, cooking meals, and baking treats. Every night before bed, Kimberly helps Michael practice sight words. Michael enjoys drawing, coloring, and reading new books, and Kimberly likes taking ENHE field trips with Michael. Kimberly just celebrated her three-year mark at T.J. Maxx., and she is excited to see Michael continue to develop his reading skills!
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Bianca Hardin and Family
Bianca, in kindergarten at Hattie Cotton, lives with dad Bronson Sr., mom Nicole, and brothers Ke'Ontaz, Ke'Darious, Bronson Jr., and Bryan. Nicole enjoys learning new ideas on how to help Bianca become a well-rounded student, and Bianca has made several friends at ENHE. Bianca's family has a good time playing sports in their yard and reading together nightly. Bianca is talented at dancing and cheerleading. We are excited to see Bianca continue to develop her reading skills through reading at school, with her family, and at ENHE!
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SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS
Our success is your success! Please consider donating to ENHE today. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you to the Friends of ENHE, Community Donors, and Community Partners!
See our Friends of ENHE donor levels below to learn how your gift could be used for our programs and students.
Other Ways to Give to ENHE
- Giving Tuesday, December 1st: Consider kicking off your holiday giving with a gift to ENHE here.
- AmazonSmiles: With the holidays just around the corner, don't forget to link your Amazon.com account to ENHE! Shop through Amazon Smiles and Amazon.com will donate a portion of all your purchases to ENHE. Visit Amazon Smiles today to link to ENHE and support us each time you shop!
- Kroger Community Rewards: Link your Kroger Card to ENHE at Kroger Community Rewards to help us grow every time you shop and swipe your card. Kroger donates money to community nonprofit organizations based on who their customers want them to support. So register your card today!
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