THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701160096
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BARBARA J. WOERNER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 86 lines
STUDENTS AND STAFF at King's Grant Elementary School wasted no time getting January Reading Month activities under way. On a recent Friday evening, nearly 70 fourth-grade students filed into the library media center with arm loads of sleeping bags, pillows and stuffed animals. They congregated there to participate in the eighth annual read-in held in celebration of Reading Month.
``Our goal in doing all this is to instill and encourage the love of reading,'' said Ruth Salmon, reading resource teacher at the school. ``This is a fun experience for the kids and these activities are the things they remember.''
This year's event, which ended at 11 p.m., had plenty of room for the 70 fourth-graders to relax in sleeping bags or to sit cross-legged listening to a storyteller.
The evening activities started with quiet reading sessions and group reading with guest readers. What the guest readers had in common was the quiet, comfortable atmosphere and the rapt attention of the students as they read. The books they chose to read from were diverse in accordance to the personal styles and tastes of each guest reader.
Jennifer Haws, first-grade teacher at King's Grant read quietly aloud from ``Bother Eagle, Sister Sky'' to a group of fourth-graders. The book consisted of words spoken by Chief Seattle and focused on the need to preserve the Earth.
``This is such a wonderful book,'' said Haws in a whisper. ``I wanted to come and do this tonight because I wanted to spend some time with the older students.''
Her second reading choice, ``Where's My Teddy,'' appealed to both her first-grade class and the fourth-graders who surrounded her that evening.
Down the hall, another group of fourth-graders sat in the school office. Gone was the hustle of the daily routine and the usual reasons for being there. With the lights low, Doug Daughtry, assistant principal, read selections from ``The Book of Virtues,'' by William Bennet.
As the students sat on the carpeted floor, some wearing slippers and many holding their favorite stuffed animals, they heard poems and short stories by classic authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson.
``I chose that book because it's got some great old children's literature in it,'' said Daughtry. ``Many of the stories instill a sense of character.''
He said that reading to students is part of his everyday activities especially during Reading Month or when he substitutes in a class. Earlier the same day, he read to one of the third-grade classes.
``We have never in eight years had even one discipline problem from the students who attend this event,'' said Maureen Moore, the school librarian. ``We tell them that they can bring anything they want to read, even comic books.
``Reading is definitely the foundation of learning,'' she added. ``We want to keep adding on to that foundation.''
Fred Ungaretta, fourth-grader, sat wrapped in his sleeping bag with a book in hand while listening to the guest reader.
``I think it's a lot of fun to sit for a couple of hours and read a book,'' he said. ``My favorite books are those about the Civil War.''
Other students found the read-in to be a peaceful break from a busy routine at home.
``I have younger sisters at home and sometimes I'm with them and don't get a chance to read,'' said fourth-grader Jenna Smith.
Most agreed that the media center at King's Grant Elementary was the place to be on that Friday night.
``I think this is fun,'' said Valerie Bell. ``Most of my friends are here and you get to lie down and read.''
During the evening the students made their way to the cafeteria for snacks provided by Harris Teeter, McDonald's at Lynnhaven and Virgina Beach General Hospital - all Partners in Education with King's Grant.
Una MacGillivray, storyteller and teacher at Salem Middle School, carried on the oral tradition of story-telling during the event. Her tales were set in the Ozark mountains, China and Japan.
Out in the hall, teachers from King's Grant were telling some stories of their own.
``You can take the poorest readers and once you get them hooked, they take off,'' said Vicky Whipple, special education teacher. ``I've seen it happen and there is such a sense of accomplishment when the student looks up from the book and says `I did it.' ''
Fourth-grade teacher Gloria Jefferson added, ``We're always emphasizing reading. This is another way for us to emphasize it. The more the students read and see adults reading, the more they will want to read.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by BARBARA WOERNER
First-grade teacher Jennifer Haws, center, reads ``Brother Eagler,
Sister Sky'' to students at King's Grant.