Local school works to keep kids excited about reading over summer

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (KAIT) - The literacy specialists at Walnut Ridge Elementary wanted to keep their kids excited about reading over the summer.

To do that, they’ve started sharing a weekly read aloud on Facebook.

One teacher each week will be volunteering to read a book of their choice in their favorite reading space.

The story will be shared on the school’s Facebook page for the students to watch.

Jennifer Biggers came up with the idea and said it not only allows teachers to connect with their kids over the break, but listening to stories is also beneficial to the child’s overall learning and reading comprehension.

“They have a higher listening comprehension than reading ability, which means that they can listen to more difficult text and understand it than they can access that themselves, so it’s exposing them to vocabulary and language patterns that otherwise they might not acquire," said Biggers.

Keeping students interesting in reading is a key part in the school’s RISE initiative.

The Reading Initiative for Student Excellence aims to make reading an important part of both home and school life.

Biggers said they’ll be posting a new story every week, and since the teachers are picking the books, there will be a wide variety of book types.

The school’s Facebook page is also public, so your kids can watch the read alongs even if they don’t attend Walnut Ridge Elementary.

To watch the read along, visit the school’s Facebook page by clicking here.

If the read alongs are successful this summer, Biggers said they might also do them throughout the school year.

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