Mead Elementary School Recognized as “Read Aloud School” for 2008 – 2009
by Anne Swanson
Mead Elementary School is one of 62 educational facilities across the state that applied for and been accepted as a “Read Aloud School” for the 2008 – 2009 school year. Read Aloud Schools were required to promote November as “Read Aloud to a Child Month” among their students, parents, and staff as well as to engage in a variety of read-aloud activities throughout the school year. Mead Elementary School has made the commitment to promote reading aloud to children as one of the most important things adults do to help children learn to read and be successful in school.
So far this year we have had two Read Aloud activities. In
conjunction with our book fair this fall, we hosted a family night
activity called Bedtime and Books. Children were invited to wear
their favorite pajamas to school and bring their favorite stuffed
animal. National Honor Society students were stationed around the
elementary gym where they read some of the book fair books to
students. Hot chocolate and cookies were provided by the Elementary
Student Council.
In December, the Elementary Student Council sponsored a Book
Exchange. Several students brought in books and the rest were
purchased by the student council or donated by the sponsors.
Students could play two ways. They could draw a number and wait
until everyone was finished and then trade with a willing partner
or they could choose to open a book or take a book from one that
was already opened, which then allowed the one who lost the book
the option of taking or opening a new book. In that case, no book
could be stolen more than two times. Enough books were provided so
that everyone had a book to take home for the Christmas
break.
The “Read Aloud Schools” program is an initiative of Read Aloud
Nebraska, a public nonprofit organization whose mission is to
“promote healthy, successful children and families through reading
aloud.” To learn more, go to the Read Aloud Nebraska website at
http://www.readaloudnebraska.org.
