Parents and students enjoyed an interactive evening full of reading fun at Lewis-Palmer Elementary School’s Literacy Night on Nov. 20. This year’s theme was “Fall in Love with Reading,” and the school had more than twenty stations full of different activities and challenges to help students do that.
Students were given a “Read-O” card (think Bing-O) at the beginning of the night, and after visiting every station, they could turn their card in and receive their choice of a free book from the book fair. Some sessions included a giant size Scrabble board encouraging students to retell a story using robots, and crafting and writing a holiday card for a resident at a local senior center. The evening also included book readings by special guests, Superintendent Dr. Stacie Datteri, and Monument’s Mayor Mitch LaKind, and featured local author Allison Flannery reading her new children’s book.
Reading Interventionist Tammy Kennington ran a special session for parents and caregivers that provided tips and strategies for how to help their child develop strong literacy skills. This included sharing information from groups like Reading Rockets and the International Dyslexia Association that address key areas across grade levels. “For instance,” Kennington said, “primary students benefit from conversations surrounding environmental print. Tweens benefit when their parents read the same book and meet to discuss each chapter.”
Parental involvement in creating an environment that encourages a love for reading and developing literacy is especially important. “The best way to cultivate a love of reading is by providing opportunities for reading at home,” said Edi Pettegrew, Intermediate Coach at LPES. “Family read-alouds, audiobooks, and books that align with a child’s interests all contribute to a language-rich environment, fostering a lifelong love of reading.”
The event could not have happened without the help of volunteers, special donations, and help from the community. “We were grateful to have special guests, including Mayor LaKind, Superintendent Datteri, School Board of Education President Tiffiney Upchurch, and Allison Flannery, children's book author, and hundreds of students along with their parents. It was a delight to see the engagement of staff and high school student volunteers, who worked together to create an evening centered around the joy of reading.”
The community support was what made the evening so special. “My favorite part of the evening was the coming together of our community. Neighborhood elementary schools truly contribute to the life-giving energy that makes a community thrive,” added Pettegrew.