One of the largest school districts in Georgia is turning its bus drivers into teachers who command “rolling classrooms.”
The drivers are helping to teach elementary students “sight” words through a new program that began this year in the Fulton County district. Sight words are those like “the” and “you” that can’t be sounded out easily and that young children are encouraged to memorize.
Through the program, a new sight word is introduced on the bus each week on a magnetic sign that goes up at the front. After the week is over, the word goes on the ceiling of the bus, and another takes its place at the front. The words will get increasingly difficult each week. Some of the drivers have made up songs about the words, and others ask students to use them in a sentence before getting on and off the bus.
The pilot program began at four elementary schools this school year and is set to expand to all 55 elementary schools in November.
