CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – A love of reading can take a child far in the classroom and in life. Children at Orchard Knob Elementary recently got to take home 6 new books, for free,
thanks to the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation. That’s a page turning example of “What’s Right With Our Schools.”
Vonetta Maston is the Principal at Orchard Knob Elementary.
She explains, “Our kids are so excited to be coming here and choose several books. They are just gleaming and smiling and I love every minute of it.”
Abbie Sanderson is the Director of Development for the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation.
She says, “We are so thrilled. Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation is so excited to partner with the Tennessee Department of Education to bring OWL Fest, stands for Opportunities with Literacy to 40 schools across the state. And they get to go in and choose six books for free to their families, free to their schools, that they can take home and build their home libraries. We know from research, but also it just makes common sense, that when students are able to choose the books that they are interested in, the likelihood of them reading those books is drastically higher than someone just handing them a book.”
Principal Mason adds, “Oh, this is awesome. It gives our kids a chance to have books that can be added to their home libraries and that’s what it’s all about. Because we’re pushing literacy here at Orchard Knob Elementary. And just to be able to partner with how best is been amazing.”
Orchard Knob Media Specialist Darrius Boyer chips in, “It makes me feel happy because this is… it’s really nice because I have a newer selection of books that you lose from. And I really like how they get to choose their own. And they get to choose so many books at that.”
Abbie Sanderson concludes, “We want to go energy around reading. And ah… if that’s what’s been happening It’s been so exciting to see. We have students who literally are dancing out of the room with their bags of books. Or uhm, you know, some of them say these are the only books I own. You know… and it’s so important to get them these books into their hands. And then also the titles that we’ve chosen are very… uhm intentional. So, we’ve had a student come up, just a couple days ago, who said, I chose these books because they look like me. And we know that when students see with themselves reflected in books, it really also helps that motivation to read. Because they realize that this is for me. It’s not for everyone else. These are books for me and that are true to my life and I’m applicable to it.”
