This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
To the editors:
Thanks for your article about ASAP/After School Activities Partnership’s Scrabble initiative. As a result of this article, we have 15 new recruits and five new sites for Scrabble clubs.
To date there are 40 Philadelphia clubs with more than 600 students participating weekly. Clubs are formed and supervised by ASAP-recruited volunteers with backgrounds as diverse as school nurses, teachers, retirees, and professionals looking for a break in their weekly routines.
The benefits of Scrabble are many. In addition to the obvious improvements in spelling, vocabulary and dictionary usage, the game also requires math, spatial awareness, decision-making and healthy competition. Students have said how much they enjoy playing.
Philadelphia Scrabble Club members have volunteered to provide training and assist with clubs’ initial start up. We organize the trainings, and Hasbro and the National Scrabble Association donate all materials. If you are interested in starting a Scrabble club, contact Peter English of ASAP at 215-545-3077.
Marciene Mattleman
The writer is president of ASAP.