Reading program engages children
Tonganoxie children are working this summer to Keep on Reading..
The program lasts through August and provides children primarily in the first and second grades with six books to read this summer. This is the second year for the program.
“We’re trying to find ways to motivate kids to keep reading over the summer,” said Reann French, Reading Recovery teacher at Tonganoxie Elementary School. “The kids are excited to get mail. They get to keep the books.”
The books will be free of charge to the families. The Tonganoxie Education Foundation helped Reading Recovery purchase the books.
French and Debbie Williams, also of Reading Recovery, organized the program. About 50 children will receive books in the mail this summer. The group doesn’t meet, but French and Williams ask parents for feedback at the end of the summer.
According to French, the feedback was positive. A certain series of books about a dog named Danny has acted as a favorite of the children.
“They love that yellow lab,” said Bobbi McClellan, whose kids, Matthew and Aidan, have participated in the program for two years. “Aidan really got involved with the program. He’s reading above grade level.”
Children will receive “Danny and the Worm” from the Danny series this summer.
French said by the end of the summer, her goal was for the children to maintain the reading levels they had during the school year.
“They’ve all worked so hard for May,” French said about the progress by the end of the school year. “We don’t want them to have to catch up and fall behind again.”
McClellan said French did an exceptional job teaching Matthew, 8, and Aidan, 7, for the past two years.
“I think it’s a strong, phonics-based program that highlights basic reading skills,” McClellan said. “I really do think it’s helping my kids.”