Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990 TAG: 9004280264
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACY VAN MOORLEHEM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Camps" of students competed to log in the greatest number of pages read during half-hour segments of uninterrupted reading time at the Roanoke school. Between reading sessions, guests entertained the children with ghost stories, fables and a demonstration on knot tying.
Parents and teachers were invited to attend the Read-In, and 22 actually participated. Most even volunteered to spend the night. Following the Read-In theme "The Night of 1,000 Stars," kids and parents ate hot dogs for supper and slept in sleeping bags.
"I think it will be fun," said Susan Overstreet, who participated with daughter April. "It gives me time to spend with my daughter, and it's educational for me, too, to see what kind of education they are involved in."
Principal Elizabeth Alls also planned to spend the night. She said that the Read-In was held to emphasize that reading is not just done in a school setting.
"We want to show how important recreational reading is in a child's life and in an adult's life," Alls said. "A lot of places wouldn't do this. But the children asked for it. We had a Read-In two years ago and the children keep asking me when they can stay over at school again and read."
Margaret Asbury, Westside's media specialist/librarian, kept the kids on schedule.
"All right, you chow hens; I watched you eat! Now move!"
She planned the event to motivate third- through fifth-graders to read. She sent invitation letters to 113 children who had distinguished themselves by being good listeners in the library and by showing their love of reading.
by CNB