Kingston Elementary students will bring home a copy of Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows, and begin reading it with their families on Monday, March 3. During the month of March, students and families will read the book together at home while celebrating and exploring the novel at school. It’s all part of a unique, national family literacy program called One School, One Book from non-profit Read to Them designed to strengthen the educational connection between home and school.
“Reading a common book together turns out to be a terrific way to unite a school community and increase parental involvement. Reading aloud at home ensures students come to school prepared to read and to succeed – in school and in life,” explains Read to Them Director of Programs, Bruce Coffey.
KES will join the schools and districts across North America who have undertaken this family literacy strategy. Families will read and discuss the story and adventures of Zoey, a young, curious science enthusiast, at home. In school, students will experience dynamic assemblies, answer trivia questions, and engage in creative extension activities.
One School One Book is the flagship program of Read to Them, a national non-profit based in Richmond, Virginia. The organization’s mission is to create a culture of literacy in every community. “The secret sauce of family literacy is to create a symbiosis between home and school. When students see their book being read and shared and discussed at home and school, they are surrounded by the culture of literacy,” explains Read to Them Director of Programs, Bruce Coffey.
“We have participated in efforts like One School, One Book in the past at KES, but we have never taken it to the next level like we have this year,” explains Josh Campbell, Kingston Elementary’s principal. “We are super confident that reading one great book together can ignite excitement about reading in our school community, and the other related activities we have planned to go along with the story will only enhance the overall impact. I can’t wait to see the excitement unfold, the memories be made, and the community of readers at KES grow and thrive.”
Read to Them’s family literacy programs have reached over 2 million families in over 3,000 schools in all 50 states (and 6 Canadian provinces). A continually growing body of research demonstrates that children who are read to at home are better prepared to read, succeed in school, and graduate.
Recent testimonials from participating schools:
“My students love participating in this initiative. It is great to see my students from different grade levels discuss a book in class and out of class. It builds this camaraderie through literacy that I have not seen before.”
- Amber Anglada, J.B. Fisher Elementary School, Richmond, Virginia
“I watched this program turn kids onto books. We went from a culture of hating reading to one where the question was: ‘When are we getting our next book?’”
- Corey Carpenter, Virginia elementary school teacher, on bringing the program to Florida