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These are some of the study materials at the Gadsden City Board of Education's Parent Teacher Resouce Center.
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“It's kind of like a drug store,” said Charlotte Campbell, director of instructional services for the Gadsden City School System. “You can go in and say your child is struggling in an area, and they sit down and make a prescription packet for you. This is a very important component that we have for all children that may be falling behind in school.”
The resource center, serving on average more than 200 students per month, is a part of the city's school system and has operated for more than 20 years, expanding and changing through the years to include better services and materials, said director Jamye Ingram.
“You name it, we have it,” Ingram said. “And if we don't have what a child needs, I'll go to the trouble to find out what it is and how to get it.”
The building, across from the post office on College Street, now houses about 10 employees and a special library of supplies — books, CDs, DVDs and even games — funded through a federal Title I grant. Most of the resources can be taken home permanently, while others are available on loan. All are free to parents and students within the local public school system.
They also are selected to harmonize with and augment the curriculum being taught in the system's classrooms from grades K through 12.
“We try not to give any mixed information,” Ingram said. “We prescribe packets of materials, depending on each child's needs. We get requests from parents and teachers, usually if the student is struggling in either math or reading.”
Although the center does assist with some other subjects, those are its focal points because they are the fundamental subjects that apply to every other academic area.
Given the breadth of those subjects, Ingram said it sometimes requires a little investigation to find exactly where students need help. Sometimes that involves e-mailing or calling a teacher. Other times, it may only require a conference with a parent. The prescriptions then are made based on the area where the student needs assistance and — when possible — on that student's individual learning style.
“Some students may need flash cards, and others do better with written work or CDs,” Ingram explained.
She said the grades with the heaviest demands for the center's services are kindergarten through fifth.
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The resource center, serving on average more than 200 students per month, is a part of the city's school system and has operated for more than 20 years, expanding and changing through the years to include better services and materials, said director Jamye Ingram.
“You name it, we have it,” Ingram said. “And if we don't have what a child needs, I'll go to the trouble to find out what it is and how to get it.”
The building, across from the post office on College Street, now houses about 10 employees and a special library of supplies — books, CDs, DVDs and even games — funded through a federal Title I grant. Most of the resources can be taken home permanently, while others are available on loan. All are free to parents and students within the local public school system.
They also are selected to harmonize with and augment the curriculum being taught in the system's classrooms from grades K through 12.
“We try not to give any mixed information,” Ingram said. “We prescribe packets of materials, depending on each child's needs. We get requests from parents and teachers, usually if the student is struggling in either math or reading.”
Although the center does assist with some other subjects, those are its focal points because they are the fundamental subjects that apply to every other academic area.
Given the breadth of those subjects, Ingram said it sometimes requires a little investigation to find exactly where students need help. Sometimes that involves e-mailing or calling a teacher. Other times, it may only require a conference with a parent. The prescriptions then are made based on the area where the student needs assistance and — when possible — on that student's individual learning style.
“Some students may need flash cards, and others do better with written work or CDs,” Ingram explained.
She said the grades with the heaviest demands for the center's services are kindergarten through fifth.
