David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
State Sen. Randy Head (R-Logansport) and State Rep. Bill Friend (R-Macy) joined Akron Elementary School kindergartners and their teachers and families Friday in celebrating reading. First, event attendees heard about the Swoop program at Akron. In Swoop, students are broken into small groups based on their reading levels so the teacher and paraprofessionals can help the kids improve their reading. Students also practice their literacy skills at home by taking a book home every day Monday through Thursday, reading the book to a parent, and the parent must sign off that their child read it to them. Once Swoop was explained Friday, teachers introduced each student as they walked down the red carpet. All the kindergarten classes then sang “I Can,” ending the song with the statement, “I can read!” Each student had a packet of three to four books to read to their guests. Afterward, they enjoyed refreshments of popcorn and water. The annual reading celebration showcases kindergartners’ reading. Students enter kindergarten at different reading levels, some not even knowing the letters of their name. By the time of the celebration at the end of the year, they can read books with three or four sentences on a page.
