The libraries at Iolas elementary schools probably dont sound like the libraries from generations past. You wont find a stern librarian admonishing children with a hushed Shhhh! or students afraid to speak above a whisper.
Instead, theres endless chatter with students talking about their favorite characters or comparing books. Adult volunteers and college students read aloud with dramatic flair. Students wander past the shelves and ask for recommendations.
Every morning, between 7:40 and 8:30 a.m. and again most afternoons, the Library Media Centers at McKinley and Jefferson schools become the hot spot for students in kindergarten to second grade. Thats where students know they can go to listen to an adult read a book, or enjoy one on their own.
Learning is a social activity and libraries must become social places, Tammy Prather, library media specialist, said.
The librarys transition to a hub of activity is just one of several changes Prather implemented after Iolas elementary schools transitioned from neighborhood schools to grade-level attendance centers in 2015.
With all kindergarten students combined at McKinley, and grades one and two at Jefferson, she introduced a new culture aimed at developing not just a love of reading but a necessity for it.
Now, after a few years of practice, Prather shared some of her findings with USD 257 board members at their meeting Monday.
The results are impressive:
— One-hundred percent of kindergarten and first grade students, and 96 percent of second grade students met or exceeded reading goals in the first quarter of this year. That compares to 19 percent of kindergarteners who met the goal of reading 20 books at the same point in the fall of 2014 (the last year before the move to attendance centers). Just 61 percent of first-graders and 73 percent of second-graders met their goals in 2014.
The average number of books read to kindergarten students each year is between 125 to 150.
The average number of books read by first and second grade students each year is about 250. Some will read more than 400 books in a year.
Each year, Iolas K-2 students read a total of about 53,000 books. And, yes, those books must be shelved at the end of every day by library paraprofessionals Mona Melvin and MaryJo Dickerson.
Theyre checking out books on the very first day of school. They dont know any other way, Prather said. We must teach them that reading is essential and just as important as brushing their teeth. Its just what we do.
PRATHERS approach to reading doesnt just affect school. Students are encouraged to read at home every night. For kindergarten and first grade students, that requires the help of an adult. Second grade students are becoming independent readers but still could use a little help from Mom or Dad, Prather said.
Its important for parents to read to their children every night, she said. The next day, students take a quiz over the book as part of the Accelerated Reader program. If they pass the quiz, they get to check out a new book. They earn points and prizes, like the chance to climb into a reading loft at McKinley and listen to an audio book, or stickers and trinkets.
Students really want to pass the quiz and move on to a new book, Prather said.
Theyre the ones putting the pressure on parents, she said.
