Students and Faculty Participate in Read Across Rapides
Students and faculty in Rapides Parish will join millions of their peers across the county to celebrate the annual National Education Association’s Read Across America week by expanding the week into a month-long initiative called Read Across Rapides. ABC 31 News Joel Massey caught up with some teachers and students making it happen.
“I like reading because one it inspires other people and with the imagination people put in it and the creativity it teaches you life lessons. It tells you about other cultures.
Cherokee Elementary 4th Grader Ansley Elder is an enthusiastic reader. She along with all Rapides Parish students is participating in Read Across Rapides to celebrate the fun and value of reading.
“I love chapter books because although they don’t have many pictures, if it’s good writing well you can picture it inside your head. And I also love Dr. Seuss books. I love his writing and his creativity pictures.”
Cherokee Elementary Lead Teacher Amber Hammond talks about the Accelerated Reader program which is a part of Read Across Rapides.
“So AR is Accelerated Reader and it is a program we use to incentivize reading. It helps engage them monitor how much they’re reading.”
For Cherokee Elementary, a part of Read Across Rapides is a competition between schools of which students read the most books in a day.
“It has been our tradition over the last 12 years to compete for title of who is going to earn the most AR points in a day. So usually on Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2 we have a friendly competition with Nachman. We have a trophy that passes back and forth and last year we won earning over 3600 AR points.”
Hammond says Read Across Rapides promotes a skill they want students to have for the rest of their life.
“It is something that is a lifelong skill and we try to encourage them to be lifelong readers. Not only do we want them to be fluid readers and understand what they’re reading but we want them to enjoy reading.”
The winner of the competition will get to hit Superintendent Jeff Powell with a pie in the face, something Ansley is looking forward to.
“I really want to win that, yes sir, one I love reading, two I really want to pie Mr. Powell in the face.”
