Clippard students in third round of national Literacy Bowl

Students at Clippard Elementary in Cape Girardeau have advanced to the third round — nationals — in Imagine Learning’s second annual Literacy Bowl, school officials announced.

Imagine Learning has a Language and Literacy supplemental software program the school purchased, said principal Amy Emmenderfer, and Clippard students have taken off with it.

The Literacy Bowl uses football imagery to get students excited about the big game — a play on the National Football League’s Super Bowl, Emmenderfer said.

“The lessons are so much like video games,” Emmenderfer said. “They love it.”

Students can log in at school or at home, Emmenderfer said, since it’s a web-based software, and they can log minutes spent reading, and complete lessons.

Correct answers score points, and students can earn booster points to go toward changing their avatars or other fun side benefits, Emmenderfer said.

A “data wall” down the hall from the principal’s office is updated with student progress, Emmenderfer said, so students can visually see how they’re doing.

Students are tested three times a year, and that data is used to evaluate areas where students’ skills are strongest, could use bolstering, or need additional attention, Emmenderfer said.

Those skill levels then help designate student groups, where peers work together at a similar level and aid in each other’s learning process, Emmenderfer said — so students who might struggle with a lesson and therefore tune it out, can instead work on material and engage with it together.

“Kids are working on their level,” Emmenderfer said, adding, “They see some success, and it’s encouraging.”

Teachers plan for at least 90 minutes per week allotted to the software, she added.

Clippard students finished the second round right after Christmas break, Emmenderfer said.

Clippard Elementary is now up against Kathleen H. Wilbur Elementary of the Colonial School District in Delaware, said Cape Girardeau School District spokeswoman Kristin Tallent.

The final round began Monday and will end at 6 p.m. Friday local time, Tallent said.

The national winner will be named Feb. 10.

The competition’s winning school will host the National Imagine Literacy Champion award celebration. It will include top classroom and student recognition, a gift card, and the 2020 National Imagine Literacy Bowl trophy, Tallent said.

The runner-up school will also receive a gift card, and a commemorative certificate.

“To me, I think we’re already winners,” Emmenderfer said.