First implemented in 1986 and recognized as an award-winning program in 1991, the Portal School Project is a semester-long, school-based early field experience for elementary education majors enrolled in Reading and Language Arts Methods. These university students have the opportunity to teach small groups of school children (grades K-8) approximately two hours each week for 15 weeks while they are learning approaches, methods, and materials for literacy instruction. Also at the school, the university instructors provide demonstration lessons, model instructional strategies, and assist students in constructing theories for literacy development. University students participating in this project learn directly about issues of urban education, behavior management and organizational skills, in addition to gaining experience planning and teaching literacy lessons.

This project is currently housed at:

Jean Gordon Elementary School, 6101 Chatham Dr., New Orleans, LA 70122; (504)286-2626. Principal: Ms. Kim Hypolite. Instructor: Dr. John Barnitz For further information, contact Dr. Joan Gipe.

In Everett, Washington at Whittier Elementary School

And, at North Bay Elementary School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. For further information about this site, contact Dr. Janet Richards.

• Course Requirements
  
• Drama Guidelines
  
• Mural Guidelines
  
• Creative Bookmaking Guidelines
  

• Journal Entries
  
• Teaching Cases
  
• Field Notes
  

• Student Poems
  
• Readers Theatre
  
• Art as an entre to writing
  
• Art as a response to reading
  
• Creative Bookmaking