MEDIA CONTACT: Debra Kain
561-297-2010, dkain@fau.edu

"Spectacular Science" Tests Middle-School Parents

BOCA RATON, FL (April 28, 2004) - Students at Silver Ridge Elementary will host their parents at a "Spectacular Science" night on Thursday, April 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The school is located at 9100 SW 36th Street, Davie.
About 150 parents and their children, grades 3, 4, and 5, are expected to attend the event. The middle-school students at Silver Ridge have been part of a program called "Science IDEAS," designed to improve reading comprehension scores through learning and reading about science concepts.

Their learning will be put to the test on Thursday as their parents compete in a quiz with only their own kids as coaches, featuring questions like "Can marshmallows grow?" and "Is everything that is boiling, hot?" The evening activities will also include an interactive science show, hosted by middle-school teacher Jonathon Dodd.

"The goal is for these students to discover that science is fun and interesting," said Dr. Nancy Romance, professor of science education at Florida Atlantic University. "Once they understand the principles of the science, they're ready to read and comprehend books about those principles."

Teachers at Silver Ridge and other schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties have worked with Romance and her team for over two years in a project funded by $6 million from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institutes of Health.

Working with 51 teachers and more than 1200 students in grades 3-5, Romance has implemented the Science IDEAS model, replacing the time normally allocated in schools for traditional reading and language arts instruction with two-hour blocks dedicated to science concept and reading comprehension instruction.

"The implications for enhancing school reform are immense," said Romance.

-FAU-