The Reading, Writing & Recovery School Program is located in the Ronald McDonald
Children’s Hospital and is under the direct guidance and supervision of the
Department of Social Work.
Key Points
The Reading, Writing & Recovery School Program services are
available for all school age patients:
- year round
- who will be away from school less than ten days and have school assignments to complete
- whose doctor thinks they will be away from school for ten or more days
- who have a chronic illness that requires frequent hospitalizations
A referral to the Reading, Writing & recovery Program is
initiated by any of the following:
- a doctor’s order
- a nurse
- a social worker
- a Child Life Specialist
- a Reading, Writing & Recovery staff person
There is no charge to you or the patient for the services of this program.
Reimbursement is sought through the patient’s public school district.
Introduction to the School Program
The Reading, Writing & Recovery School Program is a program that provides tutorial
services and educational enrichment activities in conjunction with your child’s
academic instruction while hospitalized. This is a FREE program for all children ages 5
through 18 years. Every school age child and adolescent are invited and strongly
encouraged to attend this program. The attendance list in the classroom consists of
children whose hospital stay will be anywhere from one day to a few weeks. No child is
ever turned away. The Reading, Writing & Recovery Program has been likened to
"the one room school house" where children and adolescents both attend
programming specific to their grade level. The program coordinator/teacher’s role is
that of a facilitator or resource person and not a blackboard lecturer. His teaching style
helps promote your child’s desire to learn. Every Spring the teaching staff hosts a
Science Fair complete with experiments that your child can do with your supervision at
home.
We strive to bring some form of normalcy to your child’s daily routine by offering
this service. We suggest that you bring your child’s school books to the hospital,
this is one way of helping to create a sense of normalcy. Coming to the hospital can be a
scary experience for them. Knowing that there is an educational program to help them keep
up with their work does take alot of worry off of them. Then to recognize that we use
their curriculum and materials is another stress reliever.
Group instruction consists of all children who can come to the classroom with little or
no assistance. The children gather around the table and begin to work on materials from
their schools or if no work has been brought in for them, there are text books and a
multitude of worksheets that your child can complete. At any time your child is in the
classroom the doctors and nurses know that no medical procedures are
allowed. This also means no medications may be given and no vitals may be
taken, making this a "safe" zone for your child. The doctors and nurses know that your child will
need to return to their room or accompany them to the treatment room if
they need to see your child.
Your child may be confined to a wheelchair or connected to an I.V. These apparatuses
are very much welcome in the classroom. If your child is confined to bed, then we will
schedule a time to work at bedside.
The Reading, Writing & Recovery Program Coordinator/Teacher will contact your
child’s school in the event your child will be away from school for ten or more days
to create a Hospital Education Plan (H.E.P.). This plan will provide the Reading, Writing
& Recovery Program staff with information necessary for your child to complete missed
assignments. Due to the nature of your child’s medical condition, we can not promise
that when your child returns to school they will be on the same page as their classmates.
Your child’s health is more important, therefore, school work is completed at a pace
your child can keep up with.
Location and Program Hours
- The Reading, Writing & Recovery School Program is located in room
4320 of the Ronald
McDonald Children’s Hospital.
- The program Coordinator/Teacher is available Monday & Wednesday
from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., Thursday 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., Friday
9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., (closed Saturday).
- The classroom is open for group instruction or for use by your child from
1:00 p.m.
until 7:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday & Friday, Thursday 1:00 p.m.
until 3:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., (closed Saturday).
- Individual instruction is by appointment only
Program Coordinator/Teacher