Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School Title I reading instructor Lora Felton receives a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for nearly $1,500. The grant will provide materials for the school for Sound Partners which is a phonics intervention program for students in grades kindergarten through three.
By Beth Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – A Tucker County Elementary School Instructor has received a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation that she hopes will help students with their phonics. Lora Felton, Title I reading instructor received a grant from the foundation that will be used to purchase a program called Sound Partners.
Felton said she was taking a class during the spring semester and one of her activities was to write a grant.
“I chose to write a grant through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,” Felton said. “I not only applied for the grant, but was successful and received the grant.”
She said Sound Partners is a well-researched program and is not as expensive as many other phonics programs. “It is for grades kindergarten and first, and serves as an intervention for second and third grades,” she said. “I thought the program would be very beneficial to have for our students.”
Felton said she went with Dollar General Literacy Foundation after hearing a presentation by the grant writer for West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“She spoke about grants that were available to us,” Felton said. “After researching those grants that were available to us the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant fit into my timeline very nicely.”
Felton said another reason she selected the Dollar General Literacy Foundation was there are a local business.
“I know literacy is a big focus for Dollar General,” she said. “Using Sound Phonics will not only be beneficial for those children who need a little bit more help, especially in phonics. It comes with a training webinar. I am very excited to get the program ordered and hope it will come very quickly so we can start delving into it and put it in practice. This is something that comes with books called, ‘Bob Books.’’
This is the 28th year Felton has been teaching.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded approximately 1,000 organizations $4.5 million in youth literacy grants in about 43 states that Dollar General grants. These grants are awarded at the beginning of the academic school year and are aimed at supporting teachers, schools and organizations with resources to strengthen and enhance literacy instruction.
“By awarding these grants, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is committed to making a meaningful impact in our local communities,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “These grants provide funding to support youth literacy initiatives and educational programs throughout the communities we serve to ensure a successful academic year for students.”
