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Platte Valley Middle School Uses Sports-Themed Kid's College From Learning Through Sports to Help Boost Math and Language Arts Scores

Posted on: Monday, 3 October 2005, 15:00 CDT

Platte Valley Middle School in Greeley, Colo. is entering a third year using a unique program that ties sports into math and reading/language arts skills. Kid's College(R) -- a program from Learning Through Sports -- is already helping the children catch up and boost their reading performance and is expected to help boost assessment scores.

For children needing a little extra help or those who are typically uninterested in school, Kid's College is a natural fit. "Our students who are struggling with reading or math really enjoy using Kid's College because it seems like a game when in fact it is helping to improve their skills," said Belinda Kissler, Title 1 teacher at Platte Valley Middle School (PVMS). "This is critical to helping our school meet Adequate Yearly Progress so that we can continue to receive Title 1 funding for at-risk youth."

Students can select one of five sports to play: baseball, football, soccer, volleyball or basketball. When they answer a math or reading/language arts question correctly, the get to "play" the sport they selected and try to score points for accurate shots - just as if playing a computer or video game. Students can also compete against each other, selecting their school logos or a college team of their choice to represent.

"When children are using Kid's College in the lab, there is an energy and buzz in the room that shows me they are engaged and learning," says Kara Buttolph, technology coordinator at PVMS. "There is nothing else in our lab that combines sports with the core content we have to teach so this program is real help in reaching children that are having trouble understanding key concepts."

Kid's College was conceived by founder and CEO of Learning Through Sports, Brian Shulman, a former college player and NFL draftee. "Sports and games have an appeal to almost every child, especially those having trouble in school or who are uninterested in the traditional curriculum," said Mr. Shulman. "Children enjoy Kid's College and when they enjoy what they are doing, they are more focused and better able to learn."

Kid's College recently received an "A" rating in a product review by the education magazine, Multimedia and Internet @ Schools, March/April 2005. A 2004 research project by Dr. Susan Nelson, adjunct professor at the University of Alabama found students had gains in math and language arts performance after using Kid's College. Kid's College is also used and endorsed by Dr. Betsy Rogers, 2003 National Teacher of the Year.

Platte Valley Middle School has used Kid's College for three years now and plans on keeping it around for every child to use. "When something works as well as Kid's College, you want to make sure every student has access to it," adds Ms. Buttolph. "Our teachers know this is a resource that catches the attention of every child and when you can capture their attention, they are ready to learn."

About Learning Through Sports

Learning Through Sports (LTS) is an educational publisher of interactive sports games that teach core subject areas and behavioral skills to students in grades K-12. LTS flagship products are Kid's College, a web-based reading/language arts and math skills intervention program and STAR Sportsmanship, a role-playing program for students, coaches and parents that teaches how to make good decisions on and off the playing field and includes information on how to avoid steroids abuse. Learning Through Sports' team of educators and researchers have captured the motivational factors of sports and videogames and designed interactive software that excite and engage students in learning. Today, LTS programs have been used by over 5 million students in over 2,500 schools across the nation.

Source: Business Wire

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