For the last several years, students in kindergarten through second grade at the Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center have participated in Reading Is Our Thing, a reading program that matches students with books to take home at their precise independent reading level.
The concept behind the program is to give children two “just right” books so they can practice fluent reading with a parent or other adult. The books are exchanged weekly and it is the responsibility of students to care for the books, get their reading log signed, and return the books in good condition. Students who complete this task each week receive a hardcover Dr. Seuss book.
“The recipients of the hardcover books literally dance out of the door when they receive their prizes,” learning support teacher Nancy Robinson says. “Many children carry their books with them for days and keep the treasure in a backpack to read again and again. The power of physical books is still very strong for our youngest readers.”
Reading Is Our Thing is partially funded through a grant from the Wyomissing Area Education Foundation and through the Anne McCullough Endowment Fund. To recognize the funding, a bookplate identifying the donor is placed inside each book.