Hugo Daily News- Summer 2006

Little Dixie Community Action Agency, through its Early Reading First program, recently hosted a five- day literacy training for area educators. Head Start, Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, as well as educational support staff from Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties were provided the opportunity to take part in ths intensive pre-development literacy training event on July 17th through the 21st.

The "Summer Institute 2006" event was held at Kiamichi Technology Center in Hugo and was attended by more than 90 area educators. Attendees received formal training conducted by nationally known literacy experts as well as professional literacy trainers from University of Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the University of Texas at Houston. Literacy development training is a primary focus of Project ROAR, which is the name of Little Dixie's Early Reading First Program. Project ROAR (Rural Oklahoma Advocates Reading) is a three-year program fnded by the U.S. Department of Education which is nearing the end of its first year. The program's goal is to increase ealry literacy in young children by providing educators with the necessary skills and materials to promote and foster good literacy habits. According to Ruthie Tate, Program Director, the first year of the program has been very successful. "Currently we are offering the program in the communities of Hugo, Boswell, Antlers, Idabel and Oak Hill. We hope to be able to submit another application at the end of the program in order to expand the services to other communities," said Tate. Little Dixie's literacy program is one of only four within the State of Oklahoma, with the other three being under the direction of the University of Oklahoma.

Ruth Ann Ball, Vice President of the National Assocation for Educating Young Children provided training to area educators attending the week-long Little Dixie Early Reading First literacy training.

Dr. Mary Jo Hitchcock, retired professor from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, also provided literacy training to the Pre- K and Kindergarten teachers during the Little Dixie Early Reading First program's Summer Institute 2006, held in Hugo.