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School celebrates international literacy
By MICHELE MILLER
© St. Petersburg Times, WESLEY CHAPEL -- It wasn't a day for saying "Shush!" in the media center at Quail Hollow Elementary School. In fact, seeing as the school was celebrating International Literacy Day, the prevailing attitude on Friday might have been "the more noise the better." It was a little early -- International Literacy, founded in 1967 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is actually celebrated on Sept. 8 -- but parents, many bringing their own blankets and stacks of books, came out in droves. They congregated in classrooms and in the media center, sitting in chairs, in corners on the floors, and even under tables, to read aloud to their children and perhaps a friend or two. So who could care about the noise? Not media specialist Ardi Christensen. "That just means we have a lot of parents reading today," said Christensen, who co-chaired the event with primary teacher Rachel Powers. "What amazes me most is the amount of fathers who are here." Dads such as Mike Semmig was found at a corner table combing through a book by Peter and Nilda Sesser called Drag Cars of the Races with Semmig'a 6-year-old son Dustin, who's a big Jeff Gordon fan. Then there was Calvin Broughton, delving into a book on snakes with his son Taurean, 6, and his friend Taylor Davidson, 8. "I think this is excellent," said Mr. Broughton. "It makes for good morale for the students; and there's some good interaction going on here between parents, students and teachers. I think it's very, very important for parents to attend this and read to their children." "This is fun," Taurean said. "I love reading. I'm a great reader." His father nodded in agreement and added that although Taurean is only in first grade, he is reading on a fifth- to sixth-grade level. "We read to him all the time," Mr. Broughton said. "My wife started reading to him in the womb." Lory Schieler also touted the event. She came equipped with a bag full of books and two Winnie the Pooh bean bag chairs to curl up on with her daughter Jessica, who recently started kindergarten at Quail Hollow. "I love it," said Mrs. Schieler, who said she makes it a priority to regularly visit the public libraries with her children. "It's just been a lot of fun." Reading in school for a one-day event is certainly fun for everyone, said media specialist Christensen, but parents also should fit into in their schedule to read to their children at home every day. "Ask them questions about the story, make predictions together about what will happen next -- help put your children in the story," were just a few of the hints Christensen had to share. When it comes to learning and performing well in school, there's no doubt that reading is the primary key -- one that starts at home, said Christensen. "Getting a kid to love reading is the most far-reaching gift you can give them."
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From today's Pasco Times |
