after school programs

Horse Powered Reading® at Mahogany Bay Farm develops and improves children’s literacy skills through equine-assisted learning and interactive reading activities around the farm.

Horse Powered Reading® integrates social-emotional learning with academics, thus allowing students to see and experience reading with their entire mind, body, and emotions by creating metaphors for the skills involved in reading. Horse Powered Reading® was created by Literacy Education Professor,  Dr. Michelle Pickel.

During Horse Powered Reading® sessions, learners interact with horses from the ground, while using toys and props to identify obstacles that get in the way of learning. Sessions focus on learning the five critical reading skills: phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Reading skills addressed:

-Phonemic Awareness, the most basic and most critical skill for learning to read, is developing the ability to hear the individual sounds (phonemes) that make up a word. Children must be able to take apart the word sounds and blend them together. This is foundational in any alphabetic language.

-Decoding is learning to match sounds with letters and build them into words. It encompasses both phonics (sounding out words) and sight words (learning words that don’t sound like they are spelled).

-Vocabulary, understanding word meanings, is vital to understand what is read. There is a very high correlation between vocabulary and comprehension and success in school!

-Fluency is the ability to read words accurately, quickly, and with expression. It forms the “bridge” between squiggly marks on a page (text), and Comprehension. However it is impossible for that bridge to work without the pillars of Decoding and Vocabulary built firmly on the bedrock of Phonemic Awareness. 

-Comprehension is making meaning from words - the goal of reading!

What are the benefits of Equine Assisted Learning?

Research has shown that equine assisted learning programs significantly improve communication, self-esteem, empathy, tolerance for stress, problem-solving skills, responsibility, teamwork, leadership skills, trust and interpersonal relationships.

Horse Powered Reading® After School Program: 

September Dates: (every Tuesday): 9/3, 9/10, 9/17 & 9/24

Learners in K-4th grade are dropped off at 4:30pm and picked up at 5:30pm. This program is limited to 4 learners.

What to Wear: Jeans or leggings and a boot with a heel. Please have your child bring a water bottle and dress for the Maine weather.

Cost for the September session (4 weeks) is $120

Space is limited! Email Erin at MahoganyBayFarm@gmail.com to sign up!

Leadline Readers After School Program: 

September Dates: (every Monday from 4:30-5:30pm): 9/9, 9/16, 9/23 & 9/30 OR

 (every Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm): 9/5, 9/12, 9/19 & 9/26

Learners in K-2nd grade are dropped off at their respective time to horseback ride & learn/develop their reading skills! This program is limited to 2 learners on Mondays and 2 learners on Thursdays.

What to Wear: Jeans or leggings and a boot with a heel. Please have your child bring a water bottle and dress for the Maine weather.

Cost for the September session on either Mondays or Thursdays (4 classes over weeks) is $180

Space is limited! Email Erin at MahoganyBayFarm@gmail.com to sign up!

Mahogany Bay Farm's After School FARM KIDS program runs weekly on Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:30pm for K-6th graders who love farm animals!

The Farm Kids program is a drop-off class designed for animal loving kids! We have horses, goats, chickens, a barn cat & a farm dog. Mahogany Bay Farm believes that kids learn by doing so we give hands-on experiences with the animals. Farm Kids will learn all about animal care, horse safety and grooming the horses. They will also participate in a variety of farm activities such as goat walks, arts & crafts, chicken cuddling, farm projects and more! Your child will leave the farm smiling from ear to ear with new animal adventures to share with you!

What to Wear: Jeans or leggings and a boot with a heel. Please have your child bring a water bottle and dress for the Maine weather. 

September Dates (every Wed from 3:30pm-5:30pm): 9/4, 9/11, 9/18 & 9/25

Cost for the September session (4 weeks) is $180

Space is limited! Email Erin at MahoganyBayFarm@gmail.com to sign up!