2001/2002 Award

In the days of interactive video games, and the excitement of the Internet, getting second graders excited about reading on their own is quite an undertaking. Elementary school teachers Shelly Cheers, Lauren Clemmons, Sarah Holbrooks and Tricia Padgett of the Virginia Williamson Elementary School in Supply found their inspiration in "The Literacy Map", a book and seminar program by J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D.

The Bright Ideas grant helps make Independent Reading a special experience, by giving each student an individual book bag imprinted with "My Very Own Reading Travel Bag". Each teacher personalizes the bag for the current class with the student's name. What makes it fun for the children is picking out their very own books, just right for them, and having a special place to put them. When it's reading time, they eagerly go right to their book bags.

Tyler Goldstein, Amandalee Soto and Trevon Brooks, with travel bags in hand,
line up to check out some new books.

Books funded by the grant and other sources, are "leveled" according to skill by various reading scales. So, Emily Smigiel (photo) goes right to the section of books letter-coded for her own reading level, not just what everyone else is reading. There are weekly sessions to check books in and out, just like at the library (photos), with mystery and nature-related stories among the most popular topics.

The grant was critical to getting the program off theground this year and teacher Shelly Cheers is already thinking about variations for the future…perhaps allowing the students to take the books home with them for even more reading time, buddy reading, and book clubs for older readers.


2nd grader Emily Smigiel, with teacher
Tricia Padgett looking on, chooses a book
about singing whales.