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Student WEA helps kids 'Read Across Wisconsin'
Posted: 1/29/2010 9:46:42 AM
Student WEA members at Carthage College in Kenosha used an NEA grant during the fall semester for their "Read Across Wisconsin" program. Fourth-graders at Jerstad-Agerholm Elementary School in Racine "raced" their way from Kenosha to Bayfield by counting the number of minutes they read. Each minute they read was equivalent to one mile. Students tracked their progress on Wisconsin roadmaps.
As a part of the program, Student WEA members visited weekly for about a month to lead the students in Wisconsin-themed lessons and help them track their progress. Students who completed the race received a copy of the book "B is for Badger," a certificate and a T-shirt. The top three students who read for the most minutes will get to read at an annual Seuss-a-thon event on February 27.
Carli Allen, vice president of Carthage College Student WEA, said the students (50 of whom participated) loved reading with college students. The Student WEA members set up an awards ceremony at the end of the program to recognize the accomplishments of the readers.
“The program definitely proved to be motivating. One student read six times the minutes necessary! It was amazing! Her mom came to the award ceremony and told us that they literally ran out of books for her to read at their house and many times she caught her daughter in bed reading with a flashlight at night,” Allen said. “Comments from parents like this really made me believe that this program was successful and impacted the students not just for the month we were there but for years to come because now they enjoy reading.”
