Pilot reading program, with a focus on baseball, sees success for Rogers Garden students

An eight-week collaboration between students at Rogers Garden Elementary School, the Bradenton Marauders, the Manatee County Public Library System and the Manatee Community Foundation has found some success in trying to increase student achievement level when it comes to reading.

While focusing on baseball, 183 kindergarten through fifth grade Rogers Garden students took pre-and post-program tests with 25 multiple choice questions. School wide, the number of correct answers on the post-test more than doubled, according to officials.

Now, officials are hoping to build on the lessons learned and accomplishments for other Title I schools in Manatee County, and continue working with school officials to keep the momentum.

The initiative used baseball as a way to engage children. During the eight-week program, teachers used sports themed lesson plans, players from the Bradenton Marauders visited the school, the students were given a free copy of "Casey Back at Bat" and more than 60 students and their families earned a trip to a Marauders game.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Pilot reading program, with a focus on baseball, sees success for Rogers Garden students ."