Literacy program popular among area students, teachers and parents

A literacy program designed to make reading an enjoyable endeavor has quickly caught on in local elementary schools.

“One School, One Book” has been in use since 2013 at Chanute Elementary School and was rolled out this year at Humboldt Elementary School.

Members of the district’s Title I team provided an overview at February’s USD 413 Board of Education meeting, with the animal adventure book “Fenway and Hattie” this year’s selected material for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.  

Title I teachers Shelly Barnow, Nikki Jacobs and Patty Small have worked behind the scenes to assist teachers with the project. The trio spoke glowingly of the program, telling board members that it’s been effective.

“The purpose is to promote literacy amongst family members and families to read to their kids,” Barnow said, “and to help promote school-community interactions with something common to talk about.”  

Barnow added that local libraries are involved with promotion of the program and selected book titles.

Students are assigned to read one chapter per day outside of school hours and then engage in discussion and related activities the following day in class. Activities include trivia, with entries into a drawing for prizes. A link to an activity board is also provided, and is optional for student/parent participation in additional projects with the program.

“It’s trivia questions that both students and families can participate with and keep that dialogue with the reading,” Barnow said. “We have been funded very well with gifts and prizes and things that really add incentive to motivate the students to read.”

The Title I team provided board members with a packet containing the students’ nightly reading schedule, outlining expectations for the 20-chapter book.  

“Being a Title teacher and working with K-5 students, it’s so cool to be able to talk about something with all the students and have that common theme we can talk about,” Barnow said. “Knowing how that is touching K-5 students, and seeing how their families are becoming involved with that.”

Teachers have also asked parents to submit selfies of reading time with their children, which have been displayed around the school. A culminating activity will entail a schoolwide summary of the book.

Students with keen interest in the book can also obtain its sequel from the CES library, “Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang,” penned from the dog’s perspective. New this year, the books are also available in Spanish.

“We have had some great book titles. Things that really engaged kids from K-5,” Jacobs said. “We try to find something they all enjoy and can read at home with their families.”

Superintendent Kellen Adams said he is pleased with the program’s popularity.

“You’re talking about a large elementary school — 700 kids, 120 staff,” he said. “This is one of those times during the year that we’re able to bring a whole building together, and I like that. Everybody is involved with One School, One Book.”

Adams said that the Title I team’s excitement was palpable as they discussed ways in which they’ve brought the program to life at CES.

“The reality is that for some kids and parents, reading isn’t exactly the most exciting time. I’m just going to call a spade a spade,” he said. “For some, reading is monotonous, boring or otherwise painful. So they’ve tried to find a way to make reading exciting.”

Adams is also pleased with the community’s involvement and support of the program. Board member Heather Guernsey is also fond of the program.

“It’s been here since my kids have been in school,” she said. “I think it’s a great program.”

USD 258

The program at Humboldt Elementary School kicked off Feb. 1 with a school assembly that included the announcement of the book title, “The Pet War.”

Adorned in inflatable dog and cat costume suits, teachers and staff members greeted students prior to entering the assembly.

“Our committee thought it would be a good book, and one that maybe kids haven’t already read,” said HES Principal Staci Hudlin. “I think it is a great way to get all of our families involved in a literacy activity, and so far it has been great.”

Putting their own spin on the engagement side of things, teachers have divided students into Team Dog and Team Cat for various competitions and activities. Local businesses have also professed their loyalty to the rivals.

“Our elementary school has done a really good job of involving our community,” said USD 258 Superintendent Amber Wheeler.

Hudlin said that she videotapes a reading of the chapters and uploads it to YouTube.

“That way, if kids don’t have parents at home, they can watch it,” she said, adding that it is also posted to the school’s Facebook page on a nightly basis. “I have had lots of positive feedback.”

Hudlin said that preschool through fifth-grade students spend approximately 15 minutes per day discussing the assigned chapter. Like CES, trivia and prizes are also involved.

The program concludes March 1 with a family engagement event at the school.

“I would absolutely love to keep the program around,” Hudlin said.

Wheeler said that the program has been a hit with all involved.

“I’ve heard stories about parents who didn’t think their kids would be able to listen through a whole book, and they listened every night with this program,” she said. “Parents who also never read a book to their kids, and they all wanted to know what happened in every chapter. A parent once told me that she wouldn’t let her kid read the final chapter until she got home from a meeting, so that they could all read it together.”