Reading made fun at Philadelphia Elementary

Teachers at Philadelphia Elementary School are looking for ways to make reading more fun in hopes of raising comprehension, fluency and test scores.

It involves all grades. As students complete reading a book, they are tested and receive Accelerated Reading points. Those points add up and with it comes rewards and privileges.

“We are building better readers,” said lead teacher Amanda Hattaway. “Students take a diagnostic test as part of our Renasant program. The score told us where they are in their reading ranges. And where we can pull up their levels.

“We looked at our scores and said, ‘We have to get the students more excited about reading.’ The first step was the encouragement and why we created this program we have. It gave them the encouragement to want to read. We let them read what they want to read. So, they get to pick their books and what they are interested in. They know what kind of level they were on.”

Teachers are telling students that reading a book is like taking a trip.

“We might not get out of Philadelphia very often,” Hattaway said. 

“They can take the books home. We tell them with these stories, they get to go wherever they want to go. It lets them go places they have been. The more reading they do, the more they comprehend.”

In the last couple of weeks, learning has focused on Dr. Seuss books.

“Last week, we had Dr. Dr. Seuss Week and had dress-up days,” said Hattaway. 

“They enjoyed it so much, we continued it another week. 

Today is PJ day. The students were so into it, we have done more and more. We have brought excitement to reading. During the spring break week, we are sending reading logs home. AR points continue. You read, take the test and keep going.”

Teachers are seeing results.

“Our fluency scores are improving,” Hattaway said. “The benchmark scores are rolling in and our fluency is improving. AR points are increasing. Almost every child, has hit that 10 point mark. We were going for nine weeks, but we have had students hit the 60 points club in a month. We will continue this through the end of the school year.”

Reading is encouraged in other areas of the school. Classes compete for pizza parties, sponsored by the PTA. The library has a program where students receive tickets as they progress. Later, there will be a drawing for some nice, donated prizes such as a Kindle Fire tablet and headphones.

Administrator Robert Byrd said the goal is to encourage reading.

“I love our kids and they deserve the best we can give them,” Byrd said. “My goal is moving this reading program forward.”