The Middle School That Reads!
by Jo Adams
Helfrich Park Middle School
Reading aloud to middle school students is well integrated into the
schoolwide reading program at Helfrich Park Middle School.
Two years ago low ISTEP scores at Helfrich Park challenged the staff to
develop a comprehensive reading initiative involving the entire school
community. As a result, we planned
and implemented additional reading activities.
Each Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the first twenty minutes of the
school day is devoted to recreational reading, which includes reading aloud to
students. Each teacher was provided
with the time and money to build a substantial classroom library.
Each homeroom also receives a daily newspaper, and students and teachers
read articles to one another. All
teachers model reading, and students are encouraged to carry library books with
them to all classes throughout the day. Teachers
now recognize that student reading ability is directly linked to student success
in any subject, including improved
The library media specialist regularly provides the staff with tips to
make reading aloud more successful. Lists
of good read-alouds are distributed quarterly, and new read-aloud books are
displayed in the professional development area of the media center.
Through their reading classes, students visit the library media center at
least once a week, where the library media specialist offers frequent booktalks
and shares short stories, poetry, and newspaper articles.
As the catalyst for reading improvement, the library media specialist
provides the excitement, the books, and the special events that make reading
aloud fun and interesting for everyone.
In October the Helfrich Park theme for Teen Read Week—“Got
Books?”—included “milk mustache” photos of staff members with their
favorite books. Displayed in the
main lobby, the photos caught the attention of students and guests as they
entered the school. On Wednesday of
that week, Helfrich Park celebrated its reading success!
The theme expanded to “Got Milk? Got Cookies? Got Books?” The entire school enjoyed milk and cookies while reading.
Keebler Company donated cookies for over 600 students, and milk was
purchased with book fair profits.
Research has proven that a minimum of one hour per week of recreational
reading will result in higher reading scores.
Helfrich Park is currently in the second year of the three-year
initiative, and test scores indicate improvement. Teachers have observed that students are more focused and
better prepared to work after they have spent their first minutes of the school
day reading, but the process has not been free of problems.
While the administration remains vigilant at keeping the reading time
free of any interruptions, a committee composed of teachers and the library
media specialist addresses concerns that arise throughout the year.
During their daily meetings, grade-level teams frequently discuss the
reading initiative. Teachers share successes and help each other discover good
read-alouds. Many teachers have
become quite savvy at incorporating age-appropriate read-alouds into their
interdisciplinary units, and the grade-level teams regularly work with the
library media specialist to extend classroom learning through the use of the
library media center. Book
acquisitions for the classrooms and for the library media center respond to
student requests, and students are increasingly requesting more challenging
reading material with attention to specific authors and genres.
The building administration enthusiastically supports and encourages the
school community to participate in the schoolwide effort to improve student
success in reading. Parents are
encouraged to extend the reading initiative by reading aloud to their children
and by promoting recreational reading in the home.
Strong ties to the public libraries, the local bookstores, and local
businesses continue to give momentum to the initiative.
As the banner at the entrance to the school announces to all who pass,
Helfrich Park is “The school that READS!”