Kindergartners in Teri Sala's class gathered at tables, hunched over books they shared while eagerly turning pages and reading aloud. Each student in the Riverdale Elementary School in Riverdale, Maryland, classroom had written and illustrated a page in the book, titled "Friends are Fun!" Throughout the school, students spent six weeks writing their own books or helping create a class book.
Students saw the professional-looking, bound books for the first time June 11. Nationwide Learning Inc., based in Topeka, Kansas, published the books for free through the Studentreasures program.
Reading specialist Donna Arquilla said she faces special challenges in encouraging reading and maintaining high reading level skills. Many students' parents can't afford numerous books or, with their work schedules, don't have time to take children to the library, she said. At least 80% of families speak a language other than English at home.
"You would never see this enthusiasm normally," Arquilla said while watching Sala's students, without any prompting from an adult, trying to read pages in the book. "This is something they can relate to, it's from their background. It's familiar." Read more in Gazette.Net online.