National program stresses importance of reading
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
When you read to children, you're giving a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Nowhere was this philosophy more evident than in Bourbon on Wednesday, when the entire Triton school system participated in "Read Me A Story."
The program, sponsored by Reading Is Fundamental, sets a national goal to read 1 million stories aloud from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Participating schools agree to read 250 stories to help reach the goal.
Triton's situation is unique, said principal Tom Bowers, because its two schools are so close together. This makes it easy for the entire school system to get involved - and get involved they do.
Students from Triton Jr.-Sr. High School crossed over to Triton Elementary Wednesday, where they were greeted by eager elementary students, books in hand. Students paired off according to grade level - seventh-graders reading to kindergarteners and first-graders, eighth-graders reading to second-graders, and so on - and spent the next 20 minutes enjoying their books.
The school set a goal of 3,000 stories for two "Read Me A Story" sessions, and tallied 1,915 on Wednesday. A second session is planned for next week.
Triton was the top site in the entire state in last year's "Read Me A Story," finishing 7,646 stories.
Other activities are planned to help Triton exceed that number this year. During a "family and friends read-aloud," 150 children and parents gathered Nov. 11 and read 596 stories. Each day teachers and staff are sharing stories with students, and buddy reading sessions with older and younger students amount to hundreds of shared stories.
Each school that participates in "Read Me A Story" receives $250 from RIF to purchase books for students. The school that reads the most books receives money from Visa to buy even more books.
Triton Elementary has been a RIF site for 10 years. More than 16,000 books have been given to students during this time with the help of the PTO, Kiwanis and school funds.
Although much of the attention on "Read Me A Story" focuses on quantity, Bowers said that is secondary. The real importance of the event is to promote a lifelong enjoyment of reading. As educators, he said, "we work so much on skill that sometimes the love of reading gets pushed aside.
"... The single most important thing to do for a child - read, if you want them to be a reader." [[In-content Ad]]
When you read to children, you're giving a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Nowhere was this philosophy more evident than in Bourbon on Wednesday, when the entire Triton school system participated in "Read Me A Story."
The program, sponsored by Reading Is Fundamental, sets a national goal to read 1 million stories aloud from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Participating schools agree to read 250 stories to help reach the goal.
Triton's situation is unique, said principal Tom Bowers, because its two schools are so close together. This makes it easy for the entire school system to get involved - and get involved they do.
Students from Triton Jr.-Sr. High School crossed over to Triton Elementary Wednesday, where they were greeted by eager elementary students, books in hand. Students paired off according to grade level - seventh-graders reading to kindergarteners and first-graders, eighth-graders reading to second-graders, and so on - and spent the next 20 minutes enjoying their books.
The school set a goal of 3,000 stories for two "Read Me A Story" sessions, and tallied 1,915 on Wednesday. A second session is planned for next week.
Triton was the top site in the entire state in last year's "Read Me A Story," finishing 7,646 stories.
Other activities are planned to help Triton exceed that number this year. During a "family and friends read-aloud," 150 children and parents gathered Nov. 11 and read 596 stories. Each day teachers and staff are sharing stories with students, and buddy reading sessions with older and younger students amount to hundreds of shared stories.
Each school that participates in "Read Me A Story" receives $250 from RIF to purchase books for students. The school that reads the most books receives money from Visa to buy even more books.
Triton Elementary has been a RIF site for 10 years. More than 16,000 books have been given to students during this time with the help of the PTO, Kiwanis and school funds.
Although much of the attention on "Read Me A Story" focuses on quantity, Bowers said that is secondary. The real importance of the event is to promote a lifelong enjoyment of reading. As educators, he said, "we work so much on skill that sometimes the love of reading gets pushed aside.
"... The single most important thing to do for a child - read, if you want them to be a reader." [[In-content Ad]]