GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (WNEM) — A Mid-Michigan school district is debuting a new literacy program that uses music to teach vocabulary, with support tied to Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The program, called “Rhymes with Reason,” is designed to teach fourth through 12th graders academic vocabulary through popular music.
Enrollment growth in Beecher
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Beecher Community School District Superintendent Dr. Jendayi Gardner said the school year is starting off on a strong note for the district.
“We had an entire campaign about come back home and we’re seeing a large number of students and families have come back home to Beecher,” Gardner said. “As of today, we have a possible number of 164 new students. Of the 164 students, 147 are totally enrolled,” Gardner said.
New approach to vocabulary
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Gardner said the district is looking to build on that momentum with a new way of learning.
“When you walk into our schools, you might hear Beyoncé, you might hear rapping, you might hear country music—because it’s going to be all about learning vocabulary, which is critical into writing, into reading, and literacy as a whole,” Gardner said.
Austin Martin is the founder and CEO of Rhymes with Reason.
“When I was in college, I did some research and I found that two thirds of the most frequently appearing words on the SAT, they were present in mainstream music lyrics. So a light bulb went off for me to where I realized mainstream music could be used as almost like a study guide,” Martin said.
Student engagement
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Martin said student engagement drives the program’s approach.
“The number one driver of student success is just engagement. Students have to care. You can give them something that works, but if they don’t care to engage with it, the success we all desire for them is unlikely to be there,” Martin said.
The program is backed by Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s foundation and private donations. The district is getting the entire program for free.
Gardner said the program is intended to give students skills beyond standardized tests.
“We want students that can use vocabulary not only for school, but as adults. It’s very important to have the high-level vocabulary as you’re writing and communicating. So we’re developing writers, we’re developing readers,” Gardner said.
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