Know & Grow Tutoring Program

Award-winning tutoring.  Free!  Fun!  Convenient!

TO: Parents of kindergarteners and first graders

Can Kodi the Bear come home with your child?

Kodi the Bear leads fun learning sessions on an iPad.  Before bringing the iPad home, your child will have used the iPad in class.  No adult assistance will be needed at home.

The award-winning learning software is proven to increase academic performance in as little as 20 minutes each evening.

Talk to your Dinsmore Elementary classroom teacher about enrolling your child.

Q

No, you don’t need Wi-Fi for this iPad to work.  The iPad will have a built-in Internet connection.  The iPad may be used anywhere as the Internet connection is cellular.

Q

No, your child will be totally self-sufficient when he/she brings the iPad home.  He/She will have used the iPad in the classroom and know how to operate it.  Strangely, the most difficult thing to teach is that the iPad should not be turned off; the iPad goes off automatically after five minutes of not being used. 

Q

This iPad will only allow access to fun, award-winning learning software.  Even though the iPad has an Internet connection, it is safe for your child to use unattended. 

Q

No, you will be provided with everything needed: an iPad, the award-winning Khan Academy Kids app, and a built-in cellular Internet connection.  There is no cost to you. 

Q

The tutoring is totally free.  Even in the unfortunate instance of the iPad getting damaged, the family has no cost.  We’ve put the best kid-friendly carrying cases and the best screen protectors on the iPads.  Accidents happen but we don’t expect damage to occur. 

Q

If lost, we can enable GPS tracking and see the location of the iPad on a map.  We are prevented from seeing the iPad’s location unless reported lost. 

Q

Your child’s teacher allocates the available iPads first to those not yet up to grade-level.  However, families that keep Kodi busy every night are more likely to be eligible to bring Kodi home again. 

Q

The lessons assigned to your child are based on his/her progress.  With Kodi, we can pace the lessons just right for your child.  All assigned lessons focus on English and math.

Once your child completes his/her assignments, do encourage your child to explore the books and other lessons.  Many children simply fall in love with this fun learning program and can’t seem to get enough!

Q

The Know & Grow Tutoring Program has eight (8) goals.  Certificates are awarded at the completion of each goal.  As further encouragement, your child will receive a cool T-shirt featuring Kodi & Friends once he/she has earned a third certificate.

The 2022-23 school year was the first year we served all kindergarten classrooms – and for an entire school year. Armed with iPads, our volunteers went into the classrooms to lead group sessions using the award-winning Khan Academy Kids software. Whether these children are ones who did not attend pre-school or simply did not grasp what was being taught quickly enough, the letters of the alphabet and/or other concepts passed them by. The students are already feeling confident and empowered when they earn the right to take the iPad home.  The Learning Path – led by Kodi the bear – is perfect for afterschool use.  The students are presented with award-winning lessons that allow them to learn each skill at the appropriate level and at their own pace.

At the beginning of the school year, the classroom teachers enroll their lowest-performing kindergarteners in our Know & Grow Tutoring Program.  As the lowest-performing students get caught up, we also help the more advanced students by using the learning software to fill in any gaps in their learning.  As we know, it is important to fill in learning gaps early – the earlier the better.

Khan Kids

“I’ve never had so much fun volunteering! It is so rewarding to see students loving to learn!”
Linda Brunson

Our Sponsors:

We thank our Know & Grow Tutoring Program donors!

Farmers Federal Credit Union

Barbara Willson

The Bradley Family

Linda Brunson, Board Member

Delores Barr Weaver Grassroots Grants Endowment at The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida

Sam’s Club, Busch Drive

Edna Sproull Williams Foundation

At the beginning of the school year, the classroom teachers enroll their lowest-performing kindergarteners in our Know & Grow Tutoring Program.  As the lowest-performing students get caught up, we also help the more advanced students by using the learning software to fill in any gaps in their learning.  As we all know, it is important to fill in learning gaps early – the earlier the better.

Do you wish to become a volunteer?

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