Third graders at Reid Park Academy prepared for their lesson on Monday like they were warming up to perform at the theater — which, in a way, they were. Three visiting teaching artists from Opera Carolina visited the school’s classrooms to teach literacy concepts with an arts-infused twist.
McKenzie Coleman, of Opera Carolina, first had the students shake out their hands and feet. Then, she pointed to the lesson subject of the day: "Point of View." She had the students say it, whisper it, sing it and then pretend to shout it.
Students read the old fable of the tortoise and the hare and were asked to consider who was narrating the story — and how narration affects the story.
"The way the narrator is telling the story actually can influence who you want to win or what you want to happen in the story," Coleman tells the students.
Then, some students were given roles and asked to perform the story in a scene, while others took turns narrating.
Reid Park music teacher Jeremy Barbaro says the program helps bring language arts concepts to life.
“On a Monday at 8:45 in the morning, they’re completely engaged, they’re having a great time, they’re asking questions and I can tell they’re inquisitive," Barbaro said.
On other days, they sing or use music to learn. At an earlier session, students sang songs and talked about rhythm, pitch and clarity, says Teil Taliesin, Opera Carolina's learning programs manager.
"Our teaching artists aren't just lecturing to them, we're getting them out of their seats, engaging and being creative and empowering their own artistic point of view through the power of learning and music," Taliesin said.
Opera Carolina’s teaching program is in the third week of a seven-week residency at Reid Park, funded by the Arts and Science Council.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has a district-wide goal to improve its literacy outcomes, with a specific goal at Reid Park Academy to increase its reading composite score from 27.4% in 2024 to 41% in 2025, according to the district.
