Libraries and reading
Beginning and early readers are primary interests of Wellington Schools Endowment Fund, with goals of developing reading skills and a lifelong love of reading.
Two innovative projects recently brought to Westwood School:
Tactile Letters
Tactile letters project helps kindergarten students recognize letters and learn letter sounds by using tactile materials to cover the upper and lower case letter being learned. For example letter B students use beautiful beads and buttons, letter F students will use fabulous feathers. Children are evaluated on letter and sound recognition. Progress is measured by observing the children’s performance to note if the hands-on projects enhanced their learning.
Verb Ballet (Wiggle Words)
Wiggle Words is an engaging program designed to utilize movement and rhythm to enhance students' literacy skills with an emphasis on rhyming, letter sounds, and phonics rules. This unconventional approach, as a supplement to class curriculum, provides intensive remediation for those third grade students who have not learned to read well and need to improve their ability to read on grade-level and perform successfully in school.
A program supported by WSEF and used in Wellington Schools is Accelerated Reader (AR).
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AR is widely used across the country. It is used as a reading incentive to reward students for reading. Students read a book, take a computer test on that book, and receive points for passing the test. The goal is to get students excited to read.
With an eye to ongoing improvements, there are other interesting new alternatives to Accelerated Reader being considered: Self-selected Reading, Performance Reading, and Book Talks. They will be part of the ongoing conversations for supplements or replacements --- school libraries continue to evolve.
Library collections
Comparing our current school library collections to those of the recent past, it is remarkable to note the increasing use of computer terminals, electronic materials and e-readers. WSEF supports library materials and technology and notes that in 2010-11 library collections have been updated by replacing dated materials with new. Other improvements include integrating the collections with curriculum and making the libraries more inviting.
Wellington School District media specialist Emily Campofredano writes:
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“A truly good library should have an average age of 10 years from the current year where non-fiction materials are concerned. Older books that are still relevant should not be included in this age. However, since we are in the age of digital learners a lot of libraries are investing their money in electronic resources for student research. Fiction books are still purchased, but non-fiction has tapered off. This is partly due to the lack of funding, and libraries need to get the most “bang for their buck”. Fiction is predominately the largest portion of a library’s monthly circulation statistics. Electronic resources are easily updated and more cost-effective than non-fiction books. However, students still need to be able to evaluate and utilize non-fiction print sources. My recommendation is to talk to with the staff and find out the major units/projects they will be covering- then purchase the print materials in those. Also, libraries should constantly maintain a print collection of animal, sports, car/machinery, and world record books- these are the ones boys go the most.”
Wellington Schools Endowment Fund grants for technology
Addressing the needs for tech equipment and software presents a challenge for all involved whether the applications are in schools, businesses, or households. WSEF seeks to be effective by stressing innovation and funding pilot projects. In recent years, WSEF has provided funds to purchase a wide range of technology purchases including:
wireless keyboards, license fees for websites, laptop computers, hardware for live video feeds, CD recorders, digital visualizers, digital cameras, Middle School computer lab, TV station enhancements, graphing calculators, podcast classes, Westwood computer lab, wireless slates, color nooks, and smart boards.
(The smart board is a colorful, dynamic, interactive projection display that combines learning tools, such as websites, images, and videos, into lessons. The smart board, either a white board or a display frame that fits over a plasma screen, is a touch-screen device that allows the operator to manipulate content with the tap of a finger. It features click-and-drag ability and allows users to mark up the screen; it is ideal for classroom participation and Web browsing.)
From the above list, smart boards are an example of WSEF focus on innovation and providing funds for pilot projects. Writing a grant proposal in 2004-05, Westwood teacher Mary Krumreig purchased a smart board and projector, bringing that technology into Wellington Schools. Two additional installations were later funded by WSEF. Today, Wellington Schools have a smart board for every classroom.
In 2009-10 and 2010-11,another question --- how to meet the needs for electronic books and readers while balancing that need with the need for other library materials is one that WSEF and Wellington Schools will consider.
Hecock Retrospective
(Martha Hecock has been the grant writer to the Wellington Schools Endowment seeking funding to participate in the Young Authors and Mock Trial programs. This is her report, as she retires, to the Wellington Schools Endowment Board, August 12, 2011)
It is with great appreciation that I submit this report to you. Your acknowledgment of the needs of our Wellington students and enrichment opportunities is commendable.
Over the past 15 years, you have sent well over 1,000 kids to participate in the county’s Young Authors program every May. This year, we were allowed to transport 78 McCormick students who were entertained by a great author. Two of our kids, fourth grader Grace Broome, and fifth grader Faith Alley, were in the top students in the county who were honored for their magnificent writings. Grace also was asked to share her book with many Westwood students. All of these children had their books displayed at Stocker for their open house, as well as the conference. What a great culmination of their hard work during the school year.
Another bus trip took us to Mock Trial in December, held at the Justice Center in Elyria, to go against Amherst, using the book Nothing But the Truth. We spent hours upon hours studying the court system, poring over documents to get all our facts and questions in order. It was grueling! The intense preparation is crucial to the case, but with rewarding results. Again, these scared to death sixth graders took over the courtroom with a vengeance; Amherst couldn’t get away with anything. Drama? You bet! It was difficult to sit there and not shout out encouragement to the team. These students were thrilled and amazed at the talent they didn’t realize they had…
‘Thank you’ is such a feeble comment but, trust me, it’s very meaningful --- from the heart. You have been so willing to work with me over the years, and I hope you all realize how grateful I’ve been for the Wellington Endowment and its members.
Very sincerely yours,
Martha Hecock
From a conversation afterward:
“I taught school for 22 years and my expectations were the same as Young Authors expectations. We expected excellent writing”. Martha Hecock looks back at the past 15 years as teacher of gifted students in the W.I.N.G.S. program (Wellington Intermediate Networking for Gifted Students), “I taught between 25 to a little over 50 students in any given year, depending on how many qualified through test results.”
Hecock voices enthusiasm for the Young Authors program, “(It) gives students more to strive for than just a grade. It pushes the kids to follow guided writing rules, come up with very creative pieces of writing, and being creative, put a book together to be displayed for thousands of visitors at Stocker Center. Kids seem to take more ownership of their writings with the ‘end product’ in mind. That’s very, very important, especially for gifted students. From the beginning of the school year, students (in the Young Authors program) are taught all the elements of excellent writing by reading books which demonstrate these various attributes. Students then pattern their writing after qualified authors… The more good literature students read, the better writers they become.”
A passionate booster of her students, she recalls “Those who were motivated and worked at their stories did a terrific job. Those writings were pure pleasure to read and edit. Once in a while, a student not expected to put much effort into the project surprised me and did a fabulous job… they proved it to themselves! How exciting that was! (Hecock uses exclamation points liberally while writing or speaking of her students) But there is a measure of “old school” discipline in her approach: “Laziness was not rewarded… complete a project that needs to be done well…need to learn the art of being bored”.
Hecock speaks on the impact of Young Authors, “(Students) want to be recognized at the conference for their hard work. Of course when our students are recognized, they state that they plan to become an author when they grow up! Some of our past students have gone into the English field, and I trust they have used their writing skills learned during their elementary years. Who knows how many will become authors? However, writing is needed in many areas… the need for good writing is endless.”
Some parting advice? Hecock leaves us with this: “My advice to students is to keep writing, in any form they want to write in, just so they’re writing! A project such as Young Authors isn’t possible without parents’ encouragement and help to see this to completion. Parents have been a great help with this, as they have given guidance, story ideas… Parent interaction is necessary for our students’ success.”
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